Alive
by keeper37
Summary: Kopa survives Zira's attack but only Vitani knows. He flees to the outlands for his own safety but what happens when madness kicks in from the isolation? And what happens to Vitani when he doesn't return until after Kovu becomes king?  Canon-ish some LK2
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

First chapter of first story so please R&R! Kind of turned out how I wanted, kind of didn't. If you read my profile you can see why I am doing things differently with this story than my other (non fanfic) stories. Pretty much I'm coming up with things as I go, so tell me if you think that's fine or if I should take time to think the story through before continuing each chapter.

I'm not going to do that whole copyright crap because I assume that people are normally smarter than to think that am trying to take ownership of some of these characters. If you're not smarter than that and start freaking out saying I'm claiming characters and settings are of my own inspiration, then go crawl in a hole and think things through next time. :D The world is too dumb and sue happy and needs to use their God-given brains more.

ENJOY!

* * *

Chapter 1: The Pridelands

The sun crept over the horizon just enough for a little bit of light to leak into the cave where all the lions were still fast asleep. The lullaby of huffs and unconscious breathing set a relaxing tone that was enough to keep anyone from wanting to disturb it by even the slightest movement. Far toward the back of the cave, on their own slightly elevated pedestal, were the king and queen of the land and their young son. The king lied with his lower body flat on the ground but his upper body on its side, with an arm reclined on his mate. The queen was on her belly with her head resting on her paws and with every movement of her mate's paw, rising and falling in juncture with her smooth breathing, a smile seemed to form on her face. Between them, with enough space to be comfortable and little more, was their son. Despite the normal attitude of everyone in the cave, staying almost perfectly still, the young cub kept fidgeting around; either kept in an intense dream or anxious for something. It was soon obvious which it was for as soon as the sun's rays reached the cubs eyes, they shot open with the quickest speed. The cub shimmied out of his little pocket between his parents and stood on his father's back, looking out toward the cave opening with great excitement. His golden brown fur and dark tuft of hair on his head shone brighter and brighter in the rising sun. He began to step forward but slipped and rolled off his father and landed flat on the ground beside him. He turned to look if he had disturbed the mighty king's sleep but to his satisfaction, failed to do so. He took in one more look at his father. He was much larger than he was and seeing him sleeping away with a snore close to a low roar, the cub was slightly intimidated. He noted how dwarfed he was when standing next to him then continued on with one mindset. He slithered around the pack of sleeping bodies, trying not to disturb any of them as he made it outside. He ran to the tip of the protruding rock that hung over the base of the formation and overlooked the entire land. The sun's golden light made the land seem as if it was part of the sun itself. The cub's ears perked up as he took in a mighty gasp at the sight.

"Kopa?" A voice called from behind him. The cub was taken by surprise and jumped a bit.

"Vitani!" The cub exaggeratingly stated as he turned to see his good friend being the source of the voice. "What are you doing up so early?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing." She responded.

"I just like to see the sunrise. Come here, look!" He said as he motioned for her to join him.

"Whoa…" Vitani said with the same amount of awe as was in Kopa's initial expression. "It's beautiful."

"I know. And one day, it'll be all mine." Kopa stated with a bit of an ego in his voice.

"Let's only hope not." Vitani said with a smirk.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"

"It means exactly as it sounds." She responded as she turned her tail toward Kopa and started headed back into the cave. Next thing she knew, she was back down on the rock with Kopa on top of her.

"You mean, _you_ only hope not." He said with a smile.

"Ha, I mean we all do. The day you will be king will be a frightening one." Vitani said with the same tone and smirk as before. She shrugged Kopa off of her and continued back toward the cave until she was stopped by another voice.

"That it will be…if it comes."

"Hey Zira!" "Hey mom!" Kopa and Vitani said almost simultaneously.

"Don't you think it's a little early for you two to be wrestling? Barely sunrise and you two are already fighting." She said with an almost sinister tone.

"We weren't fighting. We were just playing." Vitani said with a chuckle as she walked over to her mother.

"Of course darling." She responded as she pat her daughter on the head. "Come on, off to bed. I'm sure you can still catch a little bit of sleep before the day begins."

The two turned and headed back into the cave. But before disappearing completely, Vitani turned and ushered a quick, "Bye Kopa." to the cub still standing near the edge of the cliff.

Kopa didn't seem to notice because he was already transfixed by the view behind him. He sat there for a good few minutes before greeted by yet another lion.

"Don't you get enough of that view during the day, to where you don't have to wake up early every morning to see it?"

"Hey mom." Kopa responded without breaking eye contact from the imaginary point somewhere off in the distance. The queen strolled up and nuzzled the cub as he sat there.

"You remind me so much of your father when he was young. Can't say how many times I caught him out here in the same spot, gazing at the same sun." She said as she sat next to her son.

"Really?"

"Oh yes. He would talk all the time of how he would soon be king and how all this land one day would be his." Nala chuckled. Kopa simply smiled at the coincidence. "Didn't your father tell you he would show you the Pridelands today?"

"Yes." Kopa said almost annoyed that his anxiety still had to wait a little longer before his tour of his future manor.

"Hmph, well don't count on him getting up anytime soon. I told him not to go out with Timon and Puumba last night but he was reluctant to listen. Something about a nice patch of grubs near the watering hole." Nala continued to say.

"Ewww. How can dad stand eating that stuff?" Kopa said with the sourest face, as if he just ate some grubs.

Nala gave a gentle but hearty laugh. "I have no idea. Come on, Zira was right. We still could get some shut eye before the rest of the pride wakes up." Nala brushed her paw around her cub and pushed him toward the cave until he finally got up on his own feet and started walking with her.

*o*

The little bit of rest that was provided after his morning view did close to nothing to solve Kopa's anxiousness. He was just as antsy as before but this time he had his father to slow him down.

"How could such a tiny little thing have so much energy so early?" Simba mumbled to himself, dragging his feet as he walked out of the cave. The bright sun stung the mighty king and his half-closed eyes seemed to shut just a bit more. "I knew those fermented fruits were a bad idea. I just hope your mother doesn't find out." He muttered under his breath.

"Come on dad!" The cub kept chanting as he was practically jumping before the king. Simba reluctantly followed slowly.

"Settle down." He chuckled as his son was moving frantically around before him, prancing (or trying to) on every little critter that seemed to be moving. "Over here son." He called. Kopa galloped over toward his father. They stood out on the edge of the rock that Kopa was sitting at hours earlier and looking out at the same view. "This is the Pridelands. Everything the light touches is our kingdom."

The young cub gave out a sincere "whoa" as if he's never seen the sight before.

"I remember when my father showed me the kingdom. I wasn't much older than you are now."

"Do you think grandpa is watching over us right now?"

There was a short pause before Simba managed to fumble together a simple response. "I know he is." There was another short pause before he got up and started moving down Pride Rock. He began to explain as he walked. "See, when we die we become sort of split. Our bodies turn into the ground and our spirits go to the skies to watch over future generations. It's all part of the circle of life. This is the most important thing you must understand as king; respect for that circle. Respect for the grass that our prey eats, respect for our prey, and respect for ourselves as we turn into the grass."

They were in the fields at this point and Kopa kept his eyes down toward the ground, trying to focus and comprehend what his father was saying.

"This last thing is something I learned on my own and is just as important. It's often over looked but we need to respect ourselves. If we have no self-respect, we are no better than those who do not respect others. We must pick and choose our own beliefs and those beliefs define who we are and whether we become good people or bad people."

Kopa continued to take in every word his father spoke to him as they approached the watering hole. "Look." Simba said as he nodded toward the water. "What do you see?" He asked his son.

"My reflection?" Kopa asked confused.

"Exactly. This is who you are. Your actions and beliefs reflect who you are. One day you will look at yourself and see a different person. Hopefully for the better." Simba said with a smile before bending forward and sipping up some water. Kopa followed suit. Once Simba finished, he turned and began to walk away from the watering hole. Kopa noticed this shortly after but quickly mimicked his father down to his very movements, trying to be exactly how he is.

After a while, Simba began talking again but changed from his previous informative tone to a more commanding one. "From here I'm going to show you the borders. Now this is very important because you are old enough to be out in the Pridelands on your own and that comes with a great responsibility. You must stay within the Pridelands, at all times. You are not to approach any rogues or strangers and you are not to venture outside the borders." Kopa got slightly distracted as a butterfly flew by and sat there batting at it with his paw. "Are you listening to me son?"

"What? Yes" He snapped.

"What did I say then?" Simba said very sternly.

Kopa let out a small sigh. "To stay in the pridelands, not to go near strangers and to not go outside the borders, I got it." He said with a drawn out, bored tone.

Simba stood motionless for a moment, fixed with the same stern look as earlier. "Alright. Remember that. That is very important."

They began to move further from Pride Rock. It soon became a silhouetted spire off in the distance. Simba showed Kopa the boundaries of the Pridelands as they continued on. It was obvious where the Pridelands ended and where the outlands began for the grass got dryer and harder, the ground became more rocky, and the homey sense of the Pridelands were drifting away. After reassuring that he clearly knew the boundaries of the Prideland and promising his father he won't come close to the outlands, they two began making their way back to Pride Rock.

"Dad?"

"Yes son?"

"Well, don't mind me asking but…" Kopa began to trail of.

"What is it?"

"Well, Vitani was saying that her mom goes out to the outlands sometimes and she says that there is nothing there to be afraid of."

"Well Zira is a strong lioness. She can handle a lot of what's out there. I don't want you to get curious about it and venture out there. It is very dangerous, you understand me?"

"I understand. But, well….What is out there?"

Simba drew a long sigh before contemplating a response. "Many things, dangerous things. Hyenas, rogue lions and lionesses, but worst of all, desolation. There is something about the outlands that can drive even the strongest willed lion, mad. It is very important that you do not go out there."

"Oh…" Kopa said with a very silent draw to it.

"Do you understand how important it is that you don't go out there?" Simba had to reassure one last time.

"Yes dad, I get it. Don't go out into the outlands." Kopa said a bit annoyed at his father's repetitive connotation.

"Good. Now run off and play. I think that's enough for one day." Simba said more joyously. Kopa's face lit up. He nuzzled his father's front leg, his head just barely reaching Simba's elbow, before running off to go find his friends.

"I just hope you listen to me more than I listened to my father." Simba murmured.

"I'm sure he will."

Simba's head swiveled a bit before he finally rested his eyes on the light tan lioness, relaxing on a low branch of a nearby tree. Her tail dangled off the branch and swung consecutively like a natural metronome.

"And what makes you say that? When I look at him, I see myself as a child and we both know I didn't listen well as a cub." Simba posed.

"Well he is more focused than you were." Nala said as she jumped down from her post. "So I'm guessing it went well then?" She said, making her way over to her mate and nuzzling him.

"It went well." Simba agreed.

"Good. Now how's your head?" Nala asked. Simba looked puzzled.

"My head?"

"Yeah. I know you Timon and Puumba found some fermented fruit. Made sense whenever you took longer to get up." She chuckled.

"How'd you know?" Simba said with a smirk and a guilty tone.

"Timon was still a little drunk when he woke up this morning." She said with a smirk that matched Simba's. "Come on. I hear the watering hole's pretty nice today." Nala turned and slowly walked back toward the watering hole. Simba smiled and followed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:**

Here's chapter two. Hope you like it.

Like I said, I'm kind of writing as I go so I threw some new stuff in there like Mheetu, Nuka, and the fact that both Zira and Nala are pregnant. There shouldn't be a lot of suddend changes like that throughout the story but for now, it's still all coming together.

* * *

Chapter 2: A Mishap between Friends

The day started out just like any other. The cubs were running around either playing tag or wrestling and the lionesses were either hunting or watching their young tangle and scuff themselves up. Most of the cubs were the same age with few exceptions, one of them being Mheetu. He was not yet a young adult but his large tuft of hair on his head and chest showed that his mane should be coming in soon. The equivalent of a young teen, Mheetu was the half-brother of Nala. Despite his older age, he still loved to hang around the younger cubs. Close to Mheetu's age was Nuka, Vitani's older brother. And since the age difference between them and their relation to Kopa and Vitani, those four seemed to be part of their own little gang, always hanging out with each other. Nuka was a bit reclusive but the others weren't shy to include him.

"Get off you brat!" Nuka shouted as Kopa dove on top of him. He squirmed a bit and shook off the younger cub, all the while Kopa was laughing. "I wasn't even ready." He mumbled afterwards, dusting the dirt off himself.

"Don't get mad. Especially if Kopa can pounce better than you." Vitani taunted.

"You haven't seen me pounce." He rebuked.

"Ha! Oh yes I have."

"Not seriously."

"Oh really? Well show me serious then." Vitani sat there waiting with a grin and a raised eyebrow, egging him on.

There was a pause. It was obvious Nuka was considering it. Then he lazily rolled his eyes and turned around. "Maybe next time." He said as he was walking away.

"Well he's no fun." Vitani said, turning her back as well. Suddenly, 'THUD' Vitani laid flat on the ground with Nuka standing over her, one paw on her belly.

"Told you." He said with his chin high and a grin the size of Pride Rock.

"You got lucky." Vitani almost mimicked Nuka when he was pinned by Kopa, maneuvering to get her brother off of her.

"So what are we going to do today?" Kopa asked.

"I don't know. Watering hole?" Vitani responded.

"Watering hole?" Kopa said with a moan.

"What's wrong with the watering hole?" Mheetu asked.

"I could go for a nice swim." Nuka said again with a lazy tone as he inspected the underneath of his claws.

"We always go to the watering hole though." Kopa moaned again.

"Not like there's much else to do. Especially when it's this hot out." Vitani said, leading into a complaint.

"Fine. But next time, we got to think of something else. I'm tired of doing the same old things."

"Whatever you say Kopa." Mheetu sarcastically.

"I think Mheetu's got a tone with you Kopa." Vitani whispered to Kopa , jokingly, trying to get her friend all riled up. She knew how he would react.

"He better not!" Kopa snapped with an authoritative tone, despite the fact that everyone knew he wasn't serious. "Is that how you treat a prince?"

"Here we go." Nuka said, rolling his eyes.

"You know, I'm the future king. So you better be kind to me now and I might remember it later." Kopa began to strut. Vitani chuckled a bit.

"Don't laugh, you know it's true."

"Oh, I know it's true alright." She responded with sarcasm.

They made it to the watering hole shortly after. To their surprise it was not in heavy use. They'd expect that on such a hot day even the adults would be cooling themselves off. But surprisingly enough, lounging in the shade next to their parents were even some of the cubs. Other than that, the sight was harmonious. Kopa, still in the mind of being future king, thought of how there couldn't be a more perfect kingdom. The lions around were all peacefully minding their own business. Whether it be governing their young or mindlessly letting them swim and play while they soaked up the sun or rested in the shade. The water glistened with reflections of the sun and warm breeze eased the sun's harsh scorn.

"Last one in's a nasty hyena." Mheetu yelled as he ran forth and jumped off a rock into the water. His splash reached the others.

Vitani quickly ran after him. She noticed Kopa was still standing there and shouted out "Come one Kopa!" just before she jumped in behind Mheetu. And for a second's hesitation, Kopa ran in after waking from his daydream. Vitani and Kopa began splashing each other and Mheetu started floating on his back.

In the meantime, Nuka sauntered over to the large rock the others just jumped from and looked down. He let out a sigh and turned away, strolling to a cool rock in the shade and plopped right on top of it. He stretched out his limbs and closed his eyes.

"Oh come on, brother. You can play with us a little can't you?" Vitani drew out, noticing he decided not to join them. "Besides…you are the nasty hyena."

"How can I be the hyena if I wasn't the last one in the water? I didn't even get in." Nuka mumbled to himself.

"What was that?" Her sister asked.

"Nothing." He snapped, raising his eye brows but not bothering opening his eyes.

Vitani turned back to Kopa and Mheetu. "I seriously don't get him sometimes." She explained.

"Who really does?" Mheetu commented.

"Well he usually acts normal at home and wants to play a lot but when he's out in public and around others he feels like he has to be all old and boring and mature."

"Maybe he feels like he has to take a more of an adult role now that you're getting another brother or sister soon." Mheetu pointed out.

"Well I don't feel like I need to do things different." Vitani said.

"Yeah. I'm getting a new brother or sister sometime and I don't feel like I need to be all old and dull like the other adults." Kopa cut in again.

"I don't know. Everyone's different."

"Apparently just him." Vitani looked over at Nuka and saw him leisurely roll over onto his back.

"Come on, let's forget about Nuka and do something. Tag?"

"Sounds good to me." Mheetu approved.

"You're it!" Vitani slapped Kopa and swam frantically off in the other direction. Mheetu soon followed as Kopa began chasing after the two.

Time passed and the watering hole was becoming more and more vacant. The hunting party had long returned with some food but Mheetu Kopa and Vitani didn't seem to care. Nuka ended up falling asleep and his snore became more and more noticeable. Nala slowly came up to the edge of the watering hole and sat leisurely.

"Kopa, Mheetu there you are. Why haven't you come back to Pride Rock? There is some good meat waiting for you."

"Just enjoying the last bit of the day sis." Mheetu shouted out from the other side of the pond.

"Well I think it's about time to get back, don't you think?" Nala shouted back.

"I guess so." Mheetu said monotone.

"Aww, but mom." Kopa wailed. Nuka was slowly waking up. As soon as he saw the queen, he snapped off the rock and stood straight up.

"Don't worry Nala, I'll make sure they get back soon." Nuka stated abruptly.

Nala looked over to see Nuka standing firm and tall. "Thank you Nuka but I have it covered." She directed her attention back at those still reluctant to get out of the water. "Now come on, let's head back."

"Fine…" Kopa complied and the three slowly swam over to the queen got out and shook off. They followed closely behind her as she did not like to move very fast due to her pregnancy. Both she and Zira were not very far into their pregnancies and both didn't show any physical signs of it yet but it was obvious when it came down to other characteristics.

Not much was said on the walk back to Pride Rock. Not because of a false sense of punishment, but because the cubs didn't realize how tired they were from swimming half the day until they were out of the water. Nuka, however, felt more energized than ever after his cat nap and gave a small hop with every step. Once they made it to Pride Rock they feasted on the leftovers from the hunt and Kopa Vitani and Mheetu crashed as soon as they got into the cave. Nuka stayed out with the older lions as they conversed outside but stayed next to his mother the entire time.

"Anything I can get you mother?" He asked as he sat next to Zira.

She turned toward him and saw a piece of flesh caught between his teeth. "A toothpick for yourself maybe." Nuka thought for a moment, and then felt up his teeth with his tongue until he came across the piece of meat. He extended a claw and pried it out. "Now why aren't you asleep with the other cubs?" She continued.

"_Other_ cubs? I shouldn't even be on the same level as them. And besides, I'm better than that. I don't get tired like those cubs do." Nuka said proudly.

"Well don't get too cocky, you'll probably be joining them in a moment anyway." Zira said softly and bit annoyed. "And stop thinking you're superior to them." She snapped.

"Well it's only Kopa that is royally superior, but let's be serious. That little flee bag isn't fit to rule."

"I couldn't agree more. If Scar was still king, things would be different."

"You never really mention Scar as a king." Nuka observed.

"That's because the others don't like it."

"How come?"

"They couldn't handle his might. They felt threatened by his power. But most of all, they were jealous. They couldn't stand that here was this great king and until he was crowned, he was neglected and pushed into the shadows but his brute of a brother." She explained.

"Oh..." Nuka was a little hesitant to believe it. He never really heard anything about Scar except from his mother and it seemed to contradict the whole attitude of the pride toward Scar. "But I guess Simba is a good successor, right?"

"WRONG!" Zira stated exasperated. "Scar's brother was Simba's father. So Simba, the worst of all the other lions, wanted the throne for himself. So he decided to take it. By force."

"Wh-what do you mean?" Nuka stuttered, fearful of knowing the answer to his question.

"Simba killed Scar, just to have the throne."

Those words struck Nuka like a bolt of lightning. He sat there for a good few moments frozen, taking in what he was just told. How could someone do such a thing? How could their king betray someone like that? His own uncle too. And to think he looked up to Simba so much.

"Don't worry about it too much my child. It will all be taken care of in time. Now go get some sleep. It's getting late for you anyway." Zira said, noticing the internal confusion that was going on inside her son. Nuka slowly got up and walked into the cave. His facial expression didn't change and it was clear that he was still trying to straighten everything out. He disappeared into the cave for the night.

The next day, Kopa woke to find only him and Vitani left sleeping. She was still not up but everyone else had vacated the cave. It was already late morning and Kopa didn't see the point of venturing out into the daylight just yet so he rested next to his friend and waited for her to awake.

A breeze was gently blowing through the cave. Kopa knew it was much windier outside than normal because other than a small draft, there usually is not wind in the cave. But he was perfectly content with the amount of air whizzing through the hollow room. It was light and warm. The light was perfect; not as bright as the outdoors but the blue tint the cave gave off made a comforting glow. Everything felt perfect as Kopa relaxed, closed his eyes, and rested his head gently upon Vitani's rising side. He felt the wind blow through his fur and the light reflect onto his closed eyelids. He drew in a deep breath and noticed an intoxicating smell. A bit shocked, but too comfortable to make any sudden movements, he just sat there contemplating what it could be. Whatever it was it smelt beautiful yet so familiar. Underneath Kopa, Vitani started to stir and turned a bit. Kopa leaned forward to let her get comfortable. When he put his head back down he smelt it again, this time more potent than before and he suddenly realized what it was. Did Vitani always smell this good? He took in another deep breath. He couldn't get enough of her scent. A new form of contentment and relaxation fell upon Kopa as he continued to inhale the aroma. He began to wonder if it was weird he was so entranced by the smell of his best friend.

Suddenly, he snapped upright. "What is wrong with me? Ew!"

Kopa's sudden arousal woke up Vitani. She didn't seem to notice his outburst however as she stretched out her legs and yawned.

"Morning." She said still sleepily.

"Morning." Kopa responded trying to keep his cool.

"Where is everyone?"

"They're all gone. I think we slept a bit later than normal." Kopa said still a bit shaken.

"How late, do you know?" She asked.

"I haven't been outside yet."

"Where's Nuka?"

"I haven't seen him. He didn't come into the cave with the rest of us last night. Haven't seen him since." He answered beginning to feel normal again.

Vitani let out another big yawn before suggesting heading out for the day. Kopa was right, it was a bit windy outside but beside the strength and warmth of the wind, it felt nice to feel something other than the hot savanna sun. They strolled down Pride Rock and went to find their parents. Kopa was not as persistent to find his parents as Vitani was to find Zira. He figured his father would be too busy to do anything and his mother would probably want him to do some chore. They asked the other lionesses if they had seen Zira anywhere and to most of their surprise, they hadn't. So Kopa and Vitani just kept on looking.

"Why are you looking for your mom anyway when we could be playing or something?" Kopa asked as he trailed behind Vitani.

"I don't know, I haven't seen her much recently. I feel like I need to spend at least some time with her. Especially since she's expecting, you know?"

Kopa kind of felt bad after her statement. He realized he should at least try and help out especially in their situation, Simba having to run the Pridelands and Nala being pregnant. He figured he could spend the evening with them to make up for his constant absence.

"I think that's Nuka up there." Vitani said, seeing a dark figure creeping through the tall grass.

"Looks like him." Kopa stated, feeling the need to say something. The two slowly approached the figure. It was obvious they weren't going to be noticed as the lion's back end and tail were sticking straight in the air. Meaning, despite their terrible pouncing form, whoever it is, they're about to pounce.

"Hey Nuka!" Vitani said as they approached him.

"AH!" Nuka jumped nearly halfway to the sky. "What are you doing? I was about to pounce!" He snapped after seeing who it was that startled him.

"About to pounce? On a lizard?" Vitani smirked looking at the gecko that was slithering away rapidly.

"Practice makes perfect." He responded pretentiously.

"Have you seen mother?"

"Why?"

"Just want to see if she needs anything."

"She told me she was going to take a nap somewhere. Didn't say where though." He answered casually.

"Oh well. I'll talk to her later." Vitani turned and started walking back. Kopa was about to follow until he heard a heavy huff from Nuka.

"What?"

"Nothing, oh royal one and rightful prince of the Pridelands." Nuka snobbishly said, obviously sarcastic. Kopa raised an eyebrow but didn't take much note of his statement. He ran off to catch up to Vitani.

"Is something bothering your brother?" He asked her.

"Not that I know of. Why?"

"Just seemed a bit different. So what do you want to do?"

"I don't know. It's kind of too windy for the watering hole." She said. "I kind of just want to roam!" She quickly followed and was quite enthusiastic about such an epiphany.

"Alright." Kopa said pretty satisfied with the suggestion. "Father said I'm old enough to go anywhere I want in the Pridelands." He stood tall as he spoke.

"Really? Anywhere?"

"Yup. So we have free reign." Kopa said proudly.

"In that case…" Vitani paused. "Try and keep up." She whispered before dashing off in a random direction. Kopa took a moment's hesitation before bolting after her. They continued to run after each other for a while, taking turns on who would lead to where ever they were going.

They came across a rocky patch with boulders sticking out of the ground. Like any other young cub, their first instinct was to climb on them. Kopa started and jumped on a smaller one, but still a bit out of reach. His hind legs were scrapping and kicking to try and bring his dangling lower body up to the top of the rock where his upper body was struggling to hang on. Finally he managed and stood a bit, breathing heavily.

"Your turn." He yelled down to Vitani but she was already on a rock a bit smaller than the one he was on. "Race you to the top."

"You're on!"

The two cubs maneuvered from rock to rock to try and get to the highest one. It didn't take long and they both made it almost at the same time.

"I won." Kopa shouted.

"No you didn't. I won." Vitani argued. They bickered for a bit, trying to determine the winner.

They were a bit high off the ground for cubs their size but they didn't seem to care. The wind was picking up again and they often shifted their weights to keep themselves from falling off.

"Fine, I'll be the adult. You win." Vitani stated.

"Yes!" Kopa shouted in triumph. They stopped and looked around. "Kind of high up."

"Yeah." Vitani agreed.

Another gust of wind came; this time stronger than before. It pushed Kopa forward enough that he practically had to take a full step forward to reassure his footing. His paw landed on Vitani's but he quickly moved it off, throwing off his balance even more. He fell forward a bit and his face met Vitani's. For what seemed like a good few seconds, turning out to be only a quick instant, their lips met. Suddenly they both snapped back from each other with a look of surprise plastered on their face. Shy and embarrassed, they looked around to make sure that event wasn't seen by anyone else.

"Umm, sorry. Umm, the wind kind of pushed me." Kopa nervously hesitated.

Nearly at the same time, Vitani was trying to make excuses as well. "Kind of saw you falling, and umm leaned forward to catch you."

"So, nothing but an accident…" Kopa said after a long awkward pause.

"Yup, just an accident." Vitani agreed in the same tone as Kopa.

"A tiny mishap between friends."

"Yup."

There was another awkward pause before they decided they should head back and find their parents. The walk back to Pride Rock was an unusually quiet. The same thoughts were running through both their head however: What just happened? Why did I enjoy it so much?


	3. Chapter 3

PLEASE NOTE THIS FOLLOWING COMMENT **ONLY** IF YOU HAVE ALREADY READ THE CHAPTER (SPOILER ALERT)

I really, reeeeaaaallly need to read over these before I submit them. I'm sorry to those who have already read it, but please re-read the last few lines on this chapter. From where Simba says he does not betray a member of the pride until the finish. A huuuuggee mistake was made, Zira was supposed to say "I hope to **never** see you again Malki!" instead of saying, "I hope to see you again". This was to reassure the importance of Malki as a banished lion if even Zira doesn't like him. It's amazing how one missing word changes everything. Once again, sorry for the mistake (and many more previous ones) I promise there will not be so many in the future.

**Author's Note**

A bit shorter than I wanted, especially since it's been a while since my last update, but what can you do. Like I said, I'm still throwing in some new stuff but I think I did it with a little more subtly this time around. And a few cuss words in there as well. As the story progresses, it will become more clear as to why it's rated 'T'.

For the most part, I kind of liked this chapter. It doesn't focus entirely on Kopa which is what I was kind of going for. There will be future parts in the story where Kopa isn't mentioned for a while just to get some more background information. As always, R&R aaannndd...

ENJOY!

* * *

Chapter 3: Trouble

"Where were you two?" Mheetu asked Kopa and Vitani as they returned to Pride Rock from their trek across the Pridelands.

"Nowhere." They both snapped simultaneously, still having some uncontrollable fear that someone had accidentally seen them on the rock. Mheetu paused to try and analyze the guilty tone the two just spoke with but after a while, a raised eyebrow and a sigh was all he gave to them.

"Whatever. Well, while you two decided to sleep for half the morning, I had to help Nala about while Simba was out. You'd think that'd be something you should be doing." As Mheetu directed the last statement toward Kopa, he shrunk a bit remembering what Vitani said earlier about helping Zira. Realizing he should be helping his mother he felt he didn't need someone else to guilt him even more. Mheetu continued on with his spiel. "So now you are here, you can take over. Vitani, I'm sure your mother would want you for something also seeing how you've been gone all day as well."

Both Kopa and Vitani's head sagged down a bit as they knew Mheetu was right, but just didn't want to accept it.

"Do you know where my mother is?" Vitani asked.

"Yeah, she should be over that hill, resting under a tree. Kopa, Nala is in the cave right now. I'd suggest both of you go now. I don't know how many times Nala asked where you were Kopa, and I'm sure Zira's just as curious about you Vitani."

Without another word, the two departed to their mothers. It wasn't the ideal way for any child to spend their free time, helping their mother, but both Kopa and Vitani felt their time apart would help them get over the awkward situation that occurred not too long ago.

"Mother?" Vitani called out as she topped the hill Mheetu directed her toward.

"Over here darling." Zira answered back with a calming charm.

"You need anything?"

"Not at the moment, but come here, I haven't seen you all day."

Vitani walked over and sat aside her mother. Zira was laying there with her eyes shut and her head on her paws. By just looking at her, you would think she was asleep but her voice didn't have the slightest hint of fatigue when she spoke.

"Out with Kopa again, I presume?" She asked with the same tone as earlier.

"Yeah, we were just…playing."

"I see. And you two are getting fond of each other I'm guessing?"

"What? No!" Vitani responded promptly and quite surprised.

"No? Well you two have been spending a lot of time together." Zira continued to interrogate. The fact that the whole time she never moved a muscle other than her mouth and her utterly calm tone discomforted Vitani greatly.

"Yeah, that's because we're friends." Vitani answered.

"Ah yes, friends. A child's misbelief that two can exchange kindness with no price at all. So what have you two 'friends' been doing?"

"Nothing much. Just ran around the Pridelands for a bit." She answered her mother calmly.

"And did you go anywhere else?" Zira questioned.

"What do you mean?"

"Did you go to the Outlands?" For the first time since Vitani joined her mother under the tree, Zira's eyes opened and she turned toward her daughter. Her dark-rimmed eyes and soul-gazing stare gave the impression that the question meant a lot more than what it seemed.

"No. Kopa said Simba won't let him out there." Vitani answered without any extra thought to the meaning of the question.

"That's good. Following father's orders I see. You know, Simba constantly disobeyed his father when he was young?"

"Really?"

"Oh yes. Always running off with Nala to who knows where. Getting into trouble and having to get his father to come and save them. It must have been very distracting for King Mufasa at the time. But it seems Kopa is a bit more orderly. Doesn't like to take a risk."

"That's not true! We do all sorts of crazy stuff!" Vitani snapped, thinking her and Kopa were being insulted.

"I'm not saying you don't dear." Zira responded as she went right back to her relaxing pose. "I just don't think Simba realizes how lucky he is that his son isn't as troublesome as he was. You know it was Simba's recklessness that got his father killed?"

"I thought Scar killed Mufasa?" Vitani questioned.

"Who told you that?" Zira bellowed angrily as she jumped up to her feet.

"Kopa?" The little cub responded, quivering a bit from her mother's sudden transformation.

"Lies! I'm sure Simba told him this to hide his quilt." She huffed irritably.

"Is something wrong mother?"

Zira paused a bit and let her heavy breathing steady a bit. She laid back down and responded calmly again. "No, not at all darling." She soon dropped to her side.

"Are you sure?" Vitani asked again.

"Yes. I'm just feeling my pregnancy again. I can tell your new brother will be very strong."

"My brother? How do you know?" Vitani asked very excited and anxious at what her mother just stated.

"A mother knows these things Vitani." Zira said giving off a large sigh before becoming motionless again.

Vitani stood for a bit taking in the news. She snapped her head toward what she thought was a twig breaking nearby but after noticing her mother didn't even react, she dismissed it and went as she was.

"A brother." Vitani whispered as she moved closer to her mother and rested with her.

*o*

"Mother?" Kopa yelled into a vacant cave. "Mom? Anyone there?" After a short bit waiting for a response, the cub left the cave to search the surrounding area for the queen. He quickly remembered how windy it was, especially elevated and out in the open. But with the heavy breeze came the scent of both his mother and father. He took a large deep breath to try and figure out the direction of the scent's origin but before he could trace it, he remembered what his mother had taught him about scent tracking; never take large inhales, instead breathe normally and the scent will become more prominent. Quite soon after, he was off.

Nala was lying down with her hind legs stretched out in front of her and Simba behind her in the same position resting a forearm on her shoulder. They both seemed pretty excited about something but Kopa dared not ask.

"Kopa, come here." Nala said as he was already walking toward them.

"Yeah?"

"We have some exciting news for you." Simba continued, finishing his mate's initial thought.

"What is it?"

"Well, we talked to Rafiki and he said your sister is doing great." Nala proceeded to say as if her and Simba were taking turns speaking.

"Wait, what was that?" Kopa asked to make sure he heard his mother right.

"That's right, your sister." Simba finished, which seemed to confirm that they were swapping speaking roles.

"My sister?" It was obvious the cub still was taking in the news of the sex of his younger sibling.

"Yup. And we've already decided to name her Kiara, after your mother's grandmother." Simba continued, breaking the alternating trend of narration between him and Nala.

Kopa stood motionless for a bit. It wasn't that he was disappointed or was expecting a brother, but it was not until now that it finally hit him. He was going to be an old brother. The realization seemed overpowering. He couldn't tell what his emotions were telling him on how to feel but he knew it wasn't disappointment. In fact, he felt extremely happy for his parents.

"That's great!" He finally choked up before dashing over to them. He nuzzled the bottom of his mother's chin with the top of his head and snuggled between her arms. He also felt it was a necessary time to apologize for his recent absence. "Sorry, I've been gone all day. Is there anything you want me to do?"

"Not right now but stay with us for a bit." Nala answered. Kopa was perfectly fine with the decision.

"So what have you been doing all day anyway?" Simba felt the urge to ask.

"Nothing really. Vitani and I were just roaming."

"You didn't leave the boundaries did you?"

"No. We didn't even get close dad." Kopa answered with his slightly annoyed, drawn out tone.

"Hey, just asking." Simba noticed his son's tone and didn't want him to think he was pressuring him too much. He felt quite restricted as a kid and didn't want to implement the same kind of notion on his son so he gave him more freedoms, sometimes more than he should. He realized sometimes he should bound him more but simply ignored the thought since nothing majorly bad has come out of his son's lack of restrictions so far. Kopa was much more law-abiding than Simba was as a cub, and he knew this. He liked to think it was because he had more freedoms, and he might be right.

"Have I ever told you the time…." Nala paused and huffed a suppressed chuckle. She looked up at Simba with adoration before continuing. "Well, one of the times your father and I left the Pridelands?"

"No." Kopa said, looking up to his mother.

"Well, we ended up chasing each other to the northern edge, past where that small but deep cave is." She stated casually. She didn't bother explaining the cave, assuming her child has been there before. "And at one point, your father felt the need to urinate on this 'odd colored rock' is what he said. So what do you know, this 'rock' turned out to be sleeping hyena. And this jackass," she nodded at Simba, "didn't even notice until it was practically breathing down his neck."

"So what did you do?" Kopa said with intense interest, even though Nala and Simba's facial expressions were saying that the story was to be humorus.

"Well, usually Zazu wasn't far behind so your grandfather would come and save us but Zazu was sick that day. Luckily for us, it was a lone hyena. So we did what any other cub would do… We ran."

"And how it didn't catch us was beyond me. I swear, I had a cramp in my calf for a week." Simba cut in with a smile and shook his head.

"I heard you talking about me sire." Shortly past his que, Zazu came fluttering by and landed on a nearby rock. His straight back, focused closed eyes, and his beak sticking almost straight in the air made him look more kingly than the lounging beast he was addressing.

"Don't worry, nothing bad this time."

"Yes, well I presume you can tell your son more on how to torment me like you did as a cub later but currently we have an issue. Some of the lionesses claim to have seen Malki prowling around."

Simba looked at Nala with an apathetic, yet concerned expression. She nudged his head, signaling him that he probably needs to go deal with the situation. He gave out a heavy sigh before ushering Zazu to follow him and they were off. Simba bounced down the side of Pride Rock and Zazu followed close by.

"The hunting party said they spotted a dark lion seemingly stalking something in the grass over by the grove." Zazu informed as the two were running (and flying) at almost full speed through the savanna.

"Are they sure it was him?"

"They found it best not to approach."

"Has anyone else mentioned anything about a rogue in the Pridelands?"

"Not that I know of sire."

They stopped after a while. Simba closed his eyes and raised his nose into the air, trying to catch an unfamiliar scent. To no avail he couldn't smell anything unusual. "Was he just prowling?"

"That's what the lionesses said. They said the lion didn't look hostile but if we are dealing with Malki, you never do quite know."

"Is Vitani and Nuka with Zira?" Simba asked promptly.

"Vitani is but Nuka was picked up by the hunting party and was advised to go back to the caves with them."

"Have you informed Zira?"

Quickly after Zazu gave no response, Simba bolted off toward where Zira was resting. One thing was going through his mind. 'Please don't get there first.' He ran almost faster than what his legs could handle. Zazu was beginning to fall behind. Over the horizon, Simba was beginning to see the top of the tree that Zira was resting beneath. He started to run even faster. As he approached, his senses began kicking in. All white noise that was going on, the wind on the tall grass, his paws stomping the ground, even his own breathing, seemed to go silent. It was apparent the hunter never leaves the lion because despite his lack of training as a young adult, he could only hear and see what he was focused on.

He heard a young soft voice, "Mother?"

"Yes, dear."

"Will I be a good sister?"

Suddenly, another noise was heard. Off to his approaching left was movement in the brush. Simba changed his trajectory and dove toward the noise. The large dark lion shuttered in surprised shock as Simba almost landed on him. But his face quickly returned to its normal sternness before the lion stood up just as tall as Simba.

"Hello Simba." His tone sounded spiteful yet friendly at the same time.

"Malki."

At this, Zira stood up and saw what was going on. Vitani moved with her mother but couldn't see over the tall grass. A few mumbled speech and Simba's back end was all she could see.

"No hello back? I see how it is."

"What are you doing back Malki."

"I just wanted to check up on Zira."

"Not today you're not."

Zazu finally caught up to them and flew down toward Zira. "Oh thank goodness you are alright. We ran over here as soon as we heard that–"

"Zazu, take Vitani back to Pride Rock." Zira demanded without even letting the bird finish.

"I'll be right on it. Vitani, come with me." She followed the bird without question. Her fear at the unknown situation overcame her curiosity to stick around.

"You wanted to see me Malki?" Zira said as she casually strolled up to the faceoff between the rogue and the king.

"There's my girl." The lion's cold voice did not match the comforting smile he gave her when he gazed at her. "And how's the cub?" He added after noticing her very slightly protruded belly.

"He's fine."

"Enough. Why are you here." Simba demanded, cutting the small talk short.

"I've told you. I want to check up on my girl here." He said with an even more sinister smile than before.

"As you can see, I'm fine. So get out of here before something happens to you."

"What, will your too young of a king show me what's in store for me if I stay?"

"If I have to." Simba snarled.

"Ha! I will be the one doing that." Zira said, ignoring Simba's defensive threat.

"Go ahead, I could use some lion contact. It's quite a rarity to see another lion after being secluded in exile."

"I'm sorry, did you kill them all?" Zira rebuked.

"If only."

"Enough!" Simba roared. "I will not let this stand. You have been banned from the Pridelands Malki and yet you continue to return. I will give you one last warning. Leave and never return or me and my hunting party will treat you like the bag of useless flesh you are the next time we catch you in our kingdom."

"Such hollow threats are unnecessary. A simple escort would have sufficed."

"Leave. Now." Simba reassured that he was not ready to play any games. The rogue lion looked straight into his eyes. Simba didn't budge or even blink.

"I respect you. You know this bitch has been talking behind your back," Zira's gaze popped up toward Simba waiting for a reaction. "And yet you still defend her."

"I do not betray a member of my pride, unlike some of us here." The king said still not moving a single muscle, his gaze fixed on the large dark lion in front of him. His deep but relaxed breathing was the only movement he was making but the low huffs he created with every breath was enough to compensate.

"That's good. I respect that." Malki turned and slowly began to walk away. At this time Zazu returned and hovered next to Simba.

"I hope to never see you again Malki!" Zira shouted out and for the first time in a while, Simba sensed a hint of pain in her voice.

"I hope I'm not seen by you either." He whispered before disappearing into the grass.

"Zazu, follow him from a distance. Make sure he does not try anything funny." The bird nodded and flew off. "Is everything okay Zira?"

"Yeah."

"Did he get close to Vitani?"

"No. He was too far for her to see him."

"Does she know?"

"No. I'm going to try and make sure she never does."

* * *

I really, reeeeaaaallly need to read over these before I submit them. I'm sorry to those who have already read it, but please re-read the last few lines on this chapter. From where Simba says he does not betray a member of the pride until the finish. A huuuuggee mistake was made, Zira was supposed to say "I hope to **never** see you again Malki!" instead of saying, "I hope to see you again". This was to reassure the importance of Malki as a banished lion if even Zira doesn't like him. It's amazing how one missing word changes everything. Once again, sorry for the mistake (and many more previous ones) I promise there will not be so many in the future.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:**

It's been a while but here it is. Before I say anything else, **PLEASE **read over the ending of Chapter 3. I made a huge error (if you couldn't tell from my profile or from Chapter 3) and I urge you to reread from where Simba says he does not betray a member of the pride until the end.

I know these first few chapters have been a bit slow but I promise it will pick up. I have to set everything up.

I originally had a different plan for this chapter but I'm glad I switched it up. It was too soon for what I first had for Chapter 4. Also, I have not gotten any review recently. I NEED REVIEWS! Like I said, first time doing this kind of thing so I need input to improve.

Now I present, Chapter 4. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 4: Preparation

"Mother!" Vitani ran over to Zira when she came back with Simba.

"Vitani darling. Are you alright?" Vitani rubbed up against her mother's leg. The gesture was as good as a solid answer to the question.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing. It's all good now." Zira answered. Simba strolled over to Nala and Kopa who were still together in his absence, comforting Vitani and Nuka while Zira and Simba were dealing with Malki. The lionesses were around as well, prepared for anything unexpected.

"That was not nothing. Who was King Simba talking to?" Vitani persisted in finding out what was going on.

"Ugh, Simba was just…. fending off a rogue lion." She answered her daughter with not entirely a false statement.

"Zira, I think we need to talk sometime." Simba barged in noticing the distasteful tone she had when mentioning him and remembering what Malki said earlier.

"Whatever you say." She answered back spiteful.

She walked away in front of the king, Vitani and Nuka following closely behind, as Simba posed the figure of an angry Nemean instead of the merciful African cat that he was.

"How was it dad? Did you take that rogue down?" Kopa asked with the utmost interest. It was only by hearing his son's voice that Simba broke his stare on Zira.

"Oh did I! Maybe I could show you a sample!" Simba said as he playfully dove onto his son. Nala sat watching as her mate and young cub were laughing and wrestling almost too much to breathe. For a second however Nala saw Zira stop and stare as well. But her face wasn't that of contentment for the two's happiness, instead it was a sinister smile. As if she just got a brilliant idea. She turned back and continued on her way and Nala did the same, focusing on her family still going at each other (Kopa now was on top of Simba's head, pulling on his ear with his teeth).

*o*

A couple of weeks had past and Nala was looking pretty swollen. Zira was expected to give birth anytime now. Kiara was to be born a few weeks later than Zira's cub but the whole pride was preparing for the upcoming princess. Rafiki had checked up on Zira's cub as well and determined that her hypothesis was correct, she will have a son. Nuka didn't show much enthusiasm for that fact. Vitani and Kopa, on the other hand, could not control their excitement for their new siblings. All three of them were getting prepped by their parents for their new family members whether they wished to be or not.

It seemed like recently the unborn cubs were all that Kopa Vitani and Mheetu could talk about. Nuka was still a little hesitant to join in, fearful that his brother may draw more attention than he would.

"When my little brother's born, we're going to have so much fun! Nuka, me and the little one." Vitani over excitingly stated. She turned to Nuka to get a nod in agreement, or even a smile but received nothing. "Aren't you excited?" She asked him.

"Oh of course I am. Another little brat to watch over."

"Who said you are ever watching over me?" She snapped back aggressively. Nuka just answered with a huff and a rolling of the eyes.

"What about you and Kiara, Kopa?" She turned her attention away from Nuka to let him wallow in his personal dismays.

"Well…." He answered with a smile. "We're going to be the most awesome, most coolest royal family ever. We'll run the Pridelands right!"

"As if that's not done already?" Mheetu joined.

"No, but we'll be just as good. Maybe even better!" He continued to answer with full enthusiasm. Nuka gave out another grunt.

"By the way, has Zira come up with a name for your new brother?" Mheetu asked Vitani.

"She hasn't said much to either me or Nuka, but I've overheard her saying he wants to name him after someone. Who, I can't remember."

"Huh. Oh well. We'll find out soon enough."

"Enough of all this cub talk. I'm sick of it." Nuka finally snapped.

"Something wrong Nuka?" Mheetu asked truthfully.

"Yeah, for the past few weeks it's been cub this, cub that, I'm sick of it!"

"All you had to do was say something." Vitani suggested angrily.

"Well I'm saying something now."

"Calm down Nuka, we can talk about something else." Kopa indicated as the group feel silent for a bit.

"I'll be back." Nuka said quietly as his boney back was now facing the others.

"Ok, now I know something is wrong with him." Mheetu burst out, looking toward Vitani indicating she should say something in response.

"He's been like that for a while. Ever since our brother's birth has been getting closer. I don't think he wants another sibling." She answered, taking Mheetu's hint.

"I'll go talk to him. Maybe he'll open to me since I'm the only one not expecting a sibling." Mheetu said as he turned and followed the path that Nuka took when he left.

"So what now?" Kopa said as he watched Mheetu leave. As soon as he turned his head back to Vitani, he saw her mid-pounce for one second, and on top of him the next.

"We could wrestle." She said playfully. Kopa tried to squirm out from underneath her but failed to do so.

"Fine, but next time a warning would be nice." He said with a laugh in his throat as he finally managed to throw his friend off of him. They continued to wrestle for a bit until it got dark. After wearing themselves out, they slowly made their way back to Pride Rock. Zira was nowhere to be found again so Vitani ended up sleeping with Mheetu and Nuka who were already passed out by the time her and Kopa returned. Kopa scavenged the area to find his parents.

He ended up finding them on the other side of Pride Rock, snuggled up. This time Simba's ear was on Nala's stomach, listening to every small movement that the cub made. Simba mumbled something to her stomach and Nala gave out a loud laugh.

"Kopa, you're back. How was your day?" She said still with a bit of a giggle.

"Good. What is dad doing?"

"He's listening to Kiara."

"Is she saying something?" Kopa asked both surprised and confused.

Nala chuckled before answering. "No son. She's just moving around. Come here, listen."

The cub walked up to her hesitantly and placed his head on her stomach, next to his father's. They were facing each other, both with an ear smooth on Nala's protruding belly. They laid motionless for a moment or two before something happened. Kopa felt something move on his cheek and heard an evident 'thump' at the same time. His eyes grew immensely. "Whoa."

"That's your sister Kopa. I can tell she's going to be mighty adventurous. Meaning you might have to look after her with an even more keen eye." Simba stated with a smile.

"Or I could take her with me on some adventures." He responded jokingly.

"Or you two could never see each other to avoid making the most dynamic, troublesome duo ever." He threw back, still with a smile plastered on his muzzle.

Nala began laughing again. "I'm going to have to go with your father on this one."

"Aww mom, you always side with him." Kopa gave out a lighthearted whine.

She looked back at Simba with a smirk. Her mate snapped up with a huge grin with all his teeth showing. "Not always."

"Oh come on." He mumbled trying to rid his face of the grin he just wore but was not quite able to. He moved over behind her and lied down. She leaned back to rest on him and gave him a nuzzle under his chin. Simba then followed Nala and leaned back. Both of their heads tilted toward the cloudless night sky where the stars were bright enough to make it day out, even with almost no visible moon.

"Such a beautiful night." Nala spoke what they all were thinking. Even Kopa's head turned toward the heavens at her statement as if to prove that her words were true.

"I can't tell you how many times this reminds me of being off in the jungle with Timon and Pumba. So many nights I would look up and wonder if you were looking at the same night sky, thinking of the same thing." Simba's focus didn't change. Even after Nala nudged him again, he still was looking up at the stars. He then directed his speech toward Kopa with his head still fixed upward. "Son, if you ever are off alone, or even just feeling alone, look up at the stars and think of the someone you would want looking at the same sky with you."

Kopa dropped his head a bit and thought for a moment before looking back up. 'Who do I want to be looking at the same sky with?' He abandoned the question (quite honestly not too disappointed he didn't have an answer) and laid his head down suddenly feeling the tiredness of the day. He closed his eyes and tried to ignore the fact that his parents were kissing. They stopped pretty quickly and just like that they all were sound asleep.

Kopa woke up before his parents, as usual. It was obvious it was a bit after sunrise, even though they woke up in the shade of the monolith that was Pride Rock. He looked out from the ledge and looked on as the shadow of Pride Rock stretched for miles in the early sun. He squeezed out of his mother's grip, which even she didn't know she had on him, and continued down toward the cave to see if anyone else was up. He still felt a little tired and probably should have tried to go back to sleep for a bit but he figured he was already up so he might as well stay up.

He wandered around Pride Rock for a bit and found no one out and about. They were all still sleeping in the cave and he didn't want to disturb any of them. After a while he sat out on a ledge and looked out at the view, thinking. He didn't realize how much was on his mind until he finally took some time to sit and think. He thought about his friends, what was in store for him, how he was to take up the throne later in life, but the biggest thing was a realization he recently had when his ear was flat on his mother's stomach the night before; he was going to be a brother.

He knew how Nuka was to Vitani and, despite still being his friend, Kopa didn't want to be like the brother Nuka was. How would be treat his new sister? How would she view him? Would she like him? Would they be inseparable as a team of mischief like his father suggested, or would one of them be too afraid to let the other out in the wilderness? With all these thoughts and more, Kopa realized he was scared.

"Something on your mind son?" Simba said as he came up to Kopa staring off in the distance.

"Just thinking."

"About?" He gave a short pause, waiting for a response.

"Kiara." He answered, eyes fixed on a patch of trees miles away.

"Ah. Good thoughts, or bad thoughts?"

"Worried ones. What if she doesn't like me?" He turned to look up at his father, mentioning only one of the many questions he had.

"Oh, don't worry about that. She will love you." He said with a smile.

"How do you know that? She's not even born yet."

"How can she not love you? Not only are you her brother but you are a good person. All you have to do is be her friend."

"What if she doesn't want to be my friend?" Kopa continued as he dug deeper and deeper into the original question.

"Look. Being an older sibling takes a lot of responsibilities. Now, I never had a younger sibling but when Mheetu was young, I saw how your mother did everything she could to make sure he was happy, he knew what he needed to know, and that he was safe. I know you will have no problem being a brother."

"But…." He started to take back what he was about to say but realized it was too late. "But I never really see Nala and Mheetu together or even hang out."

"That's because your mother has a lot on her hands as queen. Not only that, they are not as close in age as you and Kiara will be." The king's response didn't seem to comfort the young cub much as his head dropped down a bit, obviously full of even more questions. "Trust me. You two will become close friends. There is little that can be done to break a bond like siblinghood. Just don't worry about it and it will all fall into place." Simba finished as he nudged his son. Kopa looked up and saw that his father was just trying to help so he took his advice and tried not to worry about it.

"Thanks dad."

"All good?"

"Yeah."

"Good. I'm sure with your worries there's excitement. Am I right?" He said with a smile.

Kopa smiled back. "Plenty."

"Simba, I'm glad I found you. Sire, Zira's giving birth!" Zazu sputtered out as fast as his wings were flapping.

"Now's your chance to get a head start on being an older brother. Kopa let's go." Simba said as he took off following Zazu. Kopa followed as close as he could.

Zira was lying under the usual tree. Her heavy pants and moans did not comfort Kopa as he inched toward the crowd surrounding her. He tried to get a view but most of the lionesses were either telling him to move back or were just blocking his entrance. After circling the scene for a bit, he saw Mheetu Vitani and Nuka looking in at a distance so he decided to join them. Nuka sat there looking bored out of his mind. A few yawns, huffs, and rolling of the eyes was enough to show his emotions on the whole ordeal. Vitani, on the other hand, was obviously excited. As she sat there waiting, her body kept moving up and down; jumping without having her feet leave the ground.

"I'm going to have a younger brother! I'm going to have a younger brother!" She kept repeating.

"Calm down Vitani. You look like you're about to explode." Mheetu said as he laughed at her.

"I don't care, this is so exciting!"

"Pfsh." Nuka groaned.

"Really Nuka? That's it? You're about to get a brother and that's how you feel?" Mheetu asked.

"Well it's not like it'll change anything." He responded sarcastically. Kopa just sat there taking in everyone's reactions, studying his own emotions on how he felt about Kiara.

"This is going to be great! We're going to wrestle and play, and Nuka you and I will show him all the ropes of Pridelands." Vitani kept rambling on.

"Hey 'Tani. Are you nervous any?" Kopa finally spoke up to ask.

"Not at all. Well a little bit but it'll all be good. I'm just so much more excited." She said without missing a beat. That kind of comforted Kopa a bit.

"Sheesh. The only two here that aren't lions and we get the boot on the front seat. You know Pumba, if we decided to eat the snails instead, we could have used that hoggish rump of yours to kick them out." Timon said as he and Pumba walked up to the others who were sitting back at a distance.

"I thought you said no on the snails?" Pumba asked confused.

"Pumba, you lovable lump. Do you remember who you're talking to?"

"Uhh–" Was all he got out before Timon started up again.

"So how have you pups been?"

"Pretty good. How's she doing?" Mheetu answered.

"She's giving birth." Pumba snapped happily.

Timon stopped and looked at him with a blank expression. "Thank you Pumba. I heard someone say they can see the head. Shouldn't be long now." He said as he climbed up and sat on Pumba's snout.

"Do you think he'll like beetles?" Pumba stated.

"All you think about is food isn't it? We can show him how good they are if he doesn't. Right Pumba?"

"Aye aye sir." The pig responded quickly.

"While we're on the cub topic, has your father told you the gender of his kid yet?" Timon asked Kopa.

"Yeah, why?"

Timon and Pumba looked mischievously at each other. "Mind if you… fill us in on that?"

"Why didn't he tell you?" Kopa answered, a little hesitant on telling them.

"Must have… not had time." Timon said as Pumba bobbed his head up and down viciously. Kopa raised a suspicious eye brow. "Okay. For some reason your dad likes to keep these things from us. He didn't tell us you were a boy until a week after you were born! It's not like we raised him or anything."

The group looked over as they heard Zira's shouts simmer and the commotion pick up from the surrounding crowd.

"It's a healthy baby boy." They heard Rafiki say. They instantly headed over, except Nuka who lazily strolled their way.

Zira was lying there with the dark brown cub in her paws, licking him clean. "What's his name?" A lioness asked.

"Kovu." Zira responded.

Vitani stepped forward next to her mother and baby Kovu. "Heeeyyy baby brother. It's your sister, Vitani." The little cub gave a small smile and Vitani responded with a giggle. Kopa then realized Vitani was right; it will all be good. He couldn't help but smile as well.

He heard some commotion coming from behind him. Some of the lionesses sounded worried so Kopa began to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"Doesn't Kovu mean… 'Scar?'"

* * *

Remember **REVIEW!** Thanks, hope you liked it. :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:**

Here is the chapter that was originally to be Chapter 4. A bit longer than the other but I like it like that. Like I said, the chapters probably will get longer since I read some of the other ones and realized a lack of depth. And no, the title of the chapter is not a typo. It actually is "Goodbyes and Promises **1**". the reason for that will be obvious later on as there will be another chapter named "Goodbyes and Promises 2".

As usual, enjoy and **REVIEW!**

* * *

Chapter 5: Goodbyes and Promises 1

"Isn't he just adorable?" Vitani said more like a statement. She was watching over Kovu with the others while Zira was resting. The baby lion kept swatting at small gnats as they hovered in front of its tiny face.

"Yeah, of course he is." Nuka sneered.

"Nuka, how could you be so cold to your own brother?" Mheetu asked sincerely. "He's barely a few days old and you are bashing him like you're sworn enemies. What do you have against him?"

"Nothing. I just kept hearing mother talk about how he's going to redeem us from who even knows what and she continued to praise him. I don't know what makes this little fuzz ball so important." He swung his head and stared at Kovu. A butterfly landed on his nose and after staring at it cross-eyed, the baby huffed a few times and finally sneezed.

"Be easy on him, he's just a baby." Vitani cut in defensively.

"Yeah seriously Nuka, what's gotten into you?" Mheetu asked hypothetically. His attention was quickly directed to Kovu as he tried to crawl over to the same butterfly that flew to a nearby rock. The baby lion's foreleg slid out from under him and Mheetu quickly put his paw under Kovu to keep him from falling on his still sensitive stomach. The baby looked confused as he looked up at Mheetu, then a smile cut across his face as he pushed himself up and sat back down.

"I'm just saying." Nuka mumbled.

"So Vitani, how does it feel to be an older sister?" Kopa asked more for his own benefit.

"Not so much different. I think I was just so ready that I don't feel like anything's changed."

"Great." Kopa mumbled to himself sarcastically.

"I just can't wait until he's older so we can play together." She continued as she started to jump around Kovu in a fighting stance as if she was ready to pounce on him. The baby cub found this enjoyable and gave out as much of a laugh as he could which amounted to a small chuckle similar to a cough. He tried to imitate his sister by standing on his hind legs and throwing his paws in the air.

"Yeah, but until then we need to make sure he doesn't hurt himself." Mheetu said as he once again stopped the baby from falling, this time from falling on his back as his terrible balance couldn't compare to the position he mindlessly put himself in. The others continued to watch as Mheetu played with the baby cub. Kovu began to climb Mheetu's arm and in response he would fall on his side, opposite to the side Kovu was on, to make the cub playfully fall on Mheetu's soft belly. Kovu found this quite entertaining as he constantly tried to climb his arm and laughed every time Mheetu fell to his side.

"How'd you become so good with cubs Mheetu?" Kopa asked curiously.

"I've had to deal with you when you were little." He answered with a chuckle. Nuka gave a similar amused huff. Kopa gave a slight blush from embarrassment and lowered his head a bit.

"Don't worry, everyone was little once."

"Some still are." Nuka spitefully said as Vitani began to circle Kovu again. The baby's head was spinning to keep up with her and after stopping, it was clear by the circular motions of his head that he was quite dizzy.

"She's just having fun Nuka, calm down. You should at least be trying to play with Kovu. It's not like he's your brother too." Mheetu intervened getting pretty tired of Nuka acting like Kovu was a pet that he didn't like.

"He's just another problem that's all. I swear, ever since mother was expecting him I've been getting pushed around like a tumbleweed." Nuka began to explain.

Mheetu became frustrated on Nuka's ignorance. "Is that what this is about, you not getting enough attention? He's a baby! He needs more attention that probably most of the Pridelands!"

"I didn't get that much attention and look how I turned out." Nuka said with such a stuck-up tone, Mheetu was about to pounce on him right there.

"Yeah, look how you turned out. Seriously, maybe that tiny brain buried under your unkempt mane needs a manual kick start courtesy of my foot. If you would just think for half a second about what you are trying to tell me, maybe we both could save some breath."

Mheetu turned his back to leave the others. Nuka's outlandish reasoning left him angry to the point of wishing to isolate himself for the day, just to cool off. Everyone, except the tiny cub Kovu who was pounding his paws on the ground for no reason at all, stared bewildered as he began to walk off toward Pride Rock.

"Mheetu wait!" Vitani said as she began to run after him. "Nuka watch over Kovu for a second."

"Wait, what?" Nuka blurted out in surprise. He turned to look at Kopa still standing there.

As soon as Nuka opened his mouth to redirect the responsibility on Kopa, he was off with a quick "I better follow them."

Nuka's mouth slowly closed simultaneous with the squinting of his eyes. "Great." He looked down at Kovu who was now trying to jump and climb on Nuka's arm instead of Mheetu's. "So what am I going to do about you, you little brat." Kovu didn't even react, obviously not yet able to understand the speech of others.

"Mheetu wait up!" Vitani yelled as she and Kopa approached the lion that was still stomping with every footstep. "Mheetu, forget Nuka. He's been like this for a while. I think he just needs to get used to Kovu being around."

"It's not that."

"Well if it's not that, what is it? You kind of just flipped out on him back there." Kopa said, contributing to conversation.

"It's nothing. A personal problem that's all."

"Like what?"

Mheetu thought for a moment. He wanted to tell them what was on his mind but knew it was for the better that he didn't. He felt he had to say something however so he came up with a vague, but true, statement. "I just don't want everything to turn sour for you all." He wanted to add 'after the next few days' but felt that would raise more questions that he was not yet willing to answer.

"How could things possibly go wrong right now?" Vitani asked.

He gave a long pause before answering back with a lack of confidence. "They can't."

"You're obviously worried about something and definitely are not willing to tell us," Kopa indicated, seeing right through Mheetu. "so let's do something to get your mind off it. I do believe that was a prescription you gave me once Mheetu." Kopa smiled.

He smiled in return. "Alright."

"Ok so what are we going to do?" Vitani cut in.

"Wait, what about Kovu?" Mheetu said suddenly realizing the baby cub was not around.

"Don't worry, I told Nuka to watch him. He may not like him so far but I know he'll watch over him. And hey, since no one is around, he might even have no shame in playing with him."

"If you say so." Mheetu disagreeably accepted.

"Back to the question at hand, what are we going to do?" Kopa broadcasted, trying to get the other two back on track.

"You decide Kopa. Really whatever works for me."

"Same." Vitani said.

"Well, we could go exploring. I know there is still part of the border I haven't seen yet."

"Sounds good to me." Vitani complied.

"Alright. Lead the way." Mheetu concluded. Kopa began trotting off toward the borders of the Pridelands. Mheetu and Vitani followed close behind. It was a bit of a distance away but none of them seemed to care walking. The hot sun prevented them from wanting to run the entire trip.

"It should be right… around… here!" Kopa said as they approached a large rocky canyon.

"Whoa!" Both Vitani and Mheetu was in awe as they stared down into the crevice. Their echoes resonated off the canyon walls before bouncing back to their ears. Mheetu was the first to start heading down the rocky cliff side and Vitani and Kopa followed.

Once they finally got down to the bottom, they looked up at the towering walls of the canyon. "Seems deeper from up there." Kopa said with his head still tilted upward.

"Yeah." Vitani followed up with.

"You know what this would be perfect for?" Mheetu said with a smile.

"What?" Kopa and Vitani asked simultaneously.

"Hide and seek."

"Yes!" Vitani shouted. Her echoes ran through the crevice.

"Let's do it." Kopa demanded.

"Not it!"

"Not it!"

"Not – awww." Kopa stopped mid-statement, realizing he was too late. "I'll count. Go hide." He said as he dropped to his belly and put his paws over his eyes. "One. Two. Three…"And the others bolted off to find their hiding places. "…Twenty-three, twenty-four, twenty-five! Ready or not, here I come!" He shouted. He took a bit to look around for any sudden movements. Nothing.

He continued to walk down the canyon, scanning the sides for anything but still did not get anything. He scavenged any location that looked like a good hiding place but still had no luck. He looked off in the distance and thought he saw something move behind a rock. He ran over to it. "Gotcha!" He yelped as he jumped behind the same rock. Nothing was there. "I could have sworn…" He said to himself. Again, out of the corner of his eye he saw the same type of movement. He ran over toward it but nothing was there.

Out of nowhere, he heard a giggle. He turned around and scanned the area again. A few small rocks fell from a low rising off in a branch of the trench. He slowly moved in. As he got closer, he knew he was zoning in on someone because he kept seeing rocks slip down the larger pile of rocks they rested on.

"And heeeerrrrrrrree's Vitani!" He shouted as he found her huddled up behind a large boulder.

"The giggle?" She asked.

"That and the rocks kept slipping from under your paws." Kopa said proudly.

"Dang."

"Come on, let's go find Mheetu." They both set off in search for their third party. They were able to cover more ground with two people and after combing the entire canyon, they figured to look in the one place they haven't yet thought to look; up.

"I think I see him." Kopa said as his vision focused on a small crack in the wall a good distance up the cliff wall. Something kept moving in the crack and Kopa figured it was a tail. They began to climb up the wall, but once they got to the crack, they found it was a small tree sprout blowing in the wind. Kopa saw another flash of movement to his right. He turned his head and once again saw nothing. He began to get a strange feeling that something wasn't right. Almost immediately after, Vitnai nudged Kopa and pointed to another crack on the other side of the canyon where Mheetu was clearly visible.

"We see you Mheetu!" Vitani yelled over. He turned his head and stared at the two on the other side of the gorge.

"Guess you do. I'll come down so guys don't have to climb back up here." He said as he made his way out of the small cave.

"You two got lucky. You would have never found me."

"Ha! You underestimate me." Vitani cried out.

Once again, Kopa's attention was directed toward something moving around in his peripheral vision. "Is it just me or have you guys been seeing something move around while we've been down here?"

"I haven't seen anything. Why?" Mheetu stated. Suddenly , a bunch of crackles and laughs were echoing their way toward the three lions.

"That doesn't sound good." Vitani stated the obvious.

"We were wondering how long it take to notice us." A voice sounded off coming from what seemed like all directions.

"Who says we can't play with our food first?" A different voice called out. More snickers and laugh arose.

"We need to get out of here." Mheetu suggested.

"Should we run?" Kopa asked.

"Yes." He answered and just like that they were off.

They began to run down the canyon toward the direction at which they came. The voices continued to call out to them. "Oh come on, don't run!" "They're making us workout before we eat." The taunts and laughs were sending shivers down their spines.

"A bit farther, we can lose them climbing up the cliff." Mheetu motivated as they continued to run through the canyon.

They turned to where they entered the canyon when suddenly three hyenas blocked their exit. "Hello kitties. We told you not to run." They stopped, not knowing where to go while the three surrounded and circled them.

"What do you want?" Kopa demanded forcibly.

"I want your legs. But both my friends over here have a liking for the upper body." One of the hyenas said. The other two had their tongues hanging out and started to lick their lips.

"Yeah. Something about the arms just hits the spot." Another hyena stated in compliance with the first one.

"Enough talk, let's get 'em!" The first one said again before pouncing toward Mheetu, obviously trying to take out the biggest one first. Kopa jumped up and head butt him in the side. The hyena fell on its side and slid into a rock.

"Run!" Kopa screamed out and they all took off again. The other two hyenas were close behind them and gaining on distance. It took a while for the first hyena to catch up but it was soon clear that these hyenas would not go down easy.

"Quick, turn into that cave!" Mheetu yelled as he bolted toward a small cave in the side of the cliff. Kopa and Vitani ran straight into it but Mheetu was a bit bigger them so he tried to quickly split the forces by climbing the cliff a bit. Two hyenas followed Kopa and Vitani but they too were bigger so they got stuck while trying to get into the cave. It was not a deep cave and Kopa and Vitani were backed as far as they could which luckily was just out of reach of the hyena's snapping muzzles. Vitani extended her claws and slashed one of the hyenas in the face. It backed away with a yelp before posting right outside, waiting.

Mheetu, on the other hand, was trying to out climb the third hyena. He tried flinging larger rocks as it closed in behind him but they didn't faze the predator. Suddenly the gravel under his feet loosened and the hyena began sliding down the sloped side.

"Mheetu! Help!"

Mheetu looked down and saw the other two hyenas walking in circles just outside the cave that Kopa and Vitani were hiding in. Thinking quickly, he jumped down and landed on one of the hyenas. He swung a paw at the other and was able to knock it off its feet enough to give Kopa and Vitani an escape. They continued running until they found another escape route. They climbed frantically trying to escape the hyenas below.

They were almost to the top when one of the hyenas grabbed Vitani's leg. "Ahhh! Help!" She called out.

Kopa slid down a bit and kicked the hyena in the face. He lost his grip on Vitani and they were all able to escape. They figured the hyenas wouldn't dare enter the Pridelands but they didn't want to risk it so they ran for a quite a bit after.

They finally stopped and after panting to catch their breath and their stability and letting their adrenaline die down a bit, they started to laugh.

"That was close." Kopa said. He laid down on his back and looked up toward the sky. What he saw though was Simba looking down at him.

"Son, what on earth have you been doing?" He roared.

"Dad! We were just, ummm, we were–"

"You were playing in the gorge weren't you?"

"No, we were–" He was interrupted again.

"Don't you lie to me!" Simba yelled, more loudly than before. "Didn't you think that was dangerous going down there by yourselves? That's no-man's-land, neither Pridelands nor Outlands. It's free game for anything that goes down there and you were using it as your playground!"

"Simba, it was my fault. Kopa didn't know how dangerous it was and I didn't stop them from going in." Mheetu stepped forward to explain.

"Mheetu, I thought you knew better."

"I do. But I let my fascination get to me. I wanted to go down there as well so I kept it to myself on the dangers of it."

"I don't want you ever, EVER to go down there again. That goes for all of you. Understand?" Simba yelled to them again.

"Yes sir." The three answered back lowly.

"Now come with me. You are all done for the day." The king turned around and took them back to Pride Rock.

"Why'd you do that?" Kopa asked Mheetu once they got back home and Simba had left them alone.

"Do what?"

"Take the blame. You did nothing wrong?" Vitani answered back, knowing what Kopa was talking about.

"I did do something wrong, everything I said was true. I knew the gorge was dangerous but I didn't even say anything to you two. I took responsibility for my actions…. Or in this case lack thereof." Kopa smiled but it quickly diminished as Mheetu continued his speech. "Kopa, you need to do the same. Now, you were the one who did nothing wrong back there but let this be a lesson to you. As King, you'll do something that others won't like. You cannot try and get out of them or point the finger. Part of being a good leader is accepting your mistakes and fixing and learning from them."

Kopa took in every word he said and strangely enough, it made sense to him. Mheetu started to walk off toward the cave, ready for rest.

"Hey Mheetu." He stopped and turned. "Thanks."

"Not a problem Kopa." Mheetu responded and then went back to the cave.

"So now what?" Vitani asked. Right on cue, Nuka walked out with Kovu sleeping on his back.

"About time you get back! Do you know how annoying babysitting is?" Vitani walked over to Nuka and took Kovu in her mouth. The baby stirred and woke up but was disturbed only briefly while Vitani and Kopa moved up Pride Rock. They settled at the same spot that Kopa and his parents slept the night before. Vitani leaned on Kopa as Kopa used the rocks behind him as a backdrop to rest on. Kovu was already back asleep, tucked in close to Vitani.

"That was pretty scary back there wasn't it." Vitani said to Kopa.

"Yeah. Lucky we had Mheetu, otherwise we probably wouldn't get out of there."

"I'm lucky I had you, otherwise I would have been pulled down when that hyena grabbed me. You were really brave."

"Well I–" Kopa's statement was left uncompleted as Vitani nuzzled her head under Kopa's. His face was red with blush and his look was that of surprise. He nuzzled her back and they fell asleep. Once again, more questions about him and Vitani were running through his mind.

Kopa again woke up first but he couldn't do much since Vitani still had most of her weight reclining on his midsection. He sat there for a bit until she rolled over enough to give him just enough space to maneuver out from underneath her.

Once he did, he headed down the cliff side toward the cave. On his way, he noticed Zazu preaching to a quite annoyed Mheetu. A bit curious on their conversation, he snuck up and hid behind a large rock to listen in. He was quite surprised they didn't notice him coming down the ledge but he ignored his luck and perked his ear up to hear the conversation

"I don't see why it's necessary. You are still too young to go off on your own." Zazu was saying. Kopa noticed he didn't have his normal irritated commanding voice but took a more worried tone.

"I don't see why it matters, it's my choice." Mheetu responded. A small hint of anger was detected in his voice. "It's not like I have much of a future here." The anger was quickly changed to sadness.

"But what about all that you will be leaving behind? What about Kopa? He looks up to you very much. How do you think he will feel when he finds out you will be leaving the Pridelands?" With that statement, it all came together. Kopa staggered back a bit but still was intent on hiding himself to continue eavesdropping. There was a long pause before anything was said. "You don't plan on telling him do you? Or Vitani or Nuka?"

"It'll be for the best." Mheetu concluded.

"So what, you just plan to get up one day and walk away? I don't think it will be that easy." Zazu was persistent in trying to convince Mheetu to change his mind but it was clear the young lion's choice was made.

"I will leave when I am ready. I already have the permission and guidance of Nala and King Simba. They will help me."

"You are going to leave the queen when she is pregnant? How could you be so selfish?" Zazu began to take a more aggressive approach. It didn't seem to be working.

"She's my god damn sister! You think I haven't thought one moment about leaving her?" Mheetu's sadness and sorrow snapped back to anger, even borderline rage. "She's the one most supportive of my decision…. And the main reason I haven't left yet." His sadness returned. "Besides, she told me to leave before the birth of the princess. She was too afraid she would hold me back when the cub was born."

"I'm sorry. I had no intensions to offend." The bird recoiled after the verbal takedown he was just shot with.

"It's alright, I shouldn't have snapped like that. It's just…. I don't think there will be anything that will make me stay."

And just like that Kopa burst from the rock. "Mheetu!"

"What the–?" As he turned his head, the fur ball of a prince was already tackling him. He squinted his eyes expecting a few well deserved paws to the face but instead felt a sturdy grip around his shoulders. Kopa was hugging him, not hitting him.

"Where did you come from? Were you listening to us?" Zazu said out of surprise.

"Mheetu, I don't want you to go. I don't want you to leave us." Kopa was saying. His tears were dampening Mheetu's underbelly.

"Oh Kopa." Mheetu said with pity.

"What will you plan to do?" Kopa looked up at him. If the cub's glassy overflowing eyes didn't bring Mheetu to tears, the fact that he said _that_ instead of "I won't let you go," did.

He sniffed before compiling all his thoughts into audible words. "I'm going to go live on my own. Maybe find a new pride, find a mate." He stopped there. With every feasible reason, Kopa seemed to sob even more. Kopa finally broke his hold.

Simba and Nala began to make their way down to the scene. As soon as they saw both Mheetu and Kopa in tears, and Zazu hovering helplessly above them, they figured they knew what was going on.

"Kopa, we're so sorry but it is his choice to go." Nala said as she nuzzled her son.

"He's not trying to stop me." Mheetu said with a gurgle of a cry.

"Promise me you won't get killed out there. Father always talks about the dangers of leaving the Pridelands." His innocent yet worried glare took another stab at Mheetu's composure.

"I promise."

"And promise me you'll visit?"

"I promise." Kopa's head began to drop down a little bit. "How can I not visit the king of my home pride?" He was able to push a grin on his face and was thankful it was contagious because the crying prince in front of him twitched his lips into the smallest noticeable smile. Even a small one would do.

"You are being very brave, my son." Simba said as he too walked up to Kopa. He nuzzled his father's leg, unintentionally wiping his tears in his thick coat.

"I guess now would be a good time to leave then." Mheetu said to Zazu to conclude their previous conversation. Zazu gave an understanding nod in return.

"Sis, thank you for all you've done for me. You are an amazing queen," He said to Nala. "And an amazing mother." He finished as he looked down at Kopa, staring at the ground in front of Mheetu's front paws.

"Do watch over yourself and I expect you to visit once you've settled down." She said with a comforting smile.

"I wouldn't think not to." They looked at each other for a bit before Nala leaned forward and nuzzled her little brother. He nuzzled back. They broke and he stood back where he stood a few moments earlier.

"I guess this is it then. I'll go say goodbye to the others."

"Mheetu wait!" Kopa shouted out just as he was turning around toward the rest of the pride. He ran up to him and hugged him again. "You are the best uncle and best friend anyone could ask for." A single tear ran down the cub's muzzle and fell onto Mheetu's shoulder.

"Same goes for you. I hope to hear good things about my nephew when he's king…. Can you promise me something?" Mheetu responded as Kopa nodded with his head still dug into his shoulder. "Promise me you'll watch out for yourself?"

"I promise."

With that, Mheetu was off. He left to say goodbye to the others knowing that he had the hardest goodbye behind him.

Kopa leaned back on his father's forearm, staring at the figure in front of him trailing down the rocky path to the main cave.

"I'm very proud of you Kopa. You did what a king would do."

"What is that; have one of my best friends leave me?" He answered with another hiccup of a cry.

"No. You let him leave you. Sometimes what needs to be done must be done whether we like it or not. Probably the hardest lesson to learn in life, and you didn't even need it to be taught to you."

Mheetu was out of sight of the young prince but he sat there staring at the point where he last saw him. "Will he be alright?" He asked ignoring his father's praise, still comprehending that he will not see one of his best friends for quite some time.

"We will make sure of it." Simba answered as he turned toward Nala. She was staring at the same spot that Kopa's eyes were fixed on with tear trails down her muzzle. He let one more tear fall down her face before turning his head forward again.

"Will I ever see him again?" Kopa asked.

"Of course." Simba answered without hesitation.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:**

Here it is, Chapter 6. From here it's going to pick up more and get into the main part of the story (as you could probably tell throughout the chapter). I don't know if I like this chapter; it took a completely different direction at like five different turns then where I was originally thinking of it going but it ended up getting to where I wanted it to go so that worked out.

Thank me for this. I knew I only had a little bit more to go so I decided to finish this rather than put an extra half hour into studying for my Physics test. YAY PROCRASTINATION!

I swear, there is always something that I think I'm forgetting to put int he A/N but oh well. If I can't remember, it's not that important :/

As always, REVIEW! and enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 6: A Life That Will Never End

Kopa woke up with the same thought he had trapped in his mind for days. 'Mheetu's gone.' It didn't seem so hard to accept at this point but it was strange to the young cub that the one lion that was like an older brother to him his whole life was gone. Without any warning or any preparation and with Kopa finding out he was leaving mere minutes before he departed, Mheetu was gone. He tried to get his mind off the subject (knowing it was an impossible task), and tried to analyze how early in the morning it was. The position he held made it difficult for him to look outside without disturbing his parents around him. He skirmished carefully from side to side until he got a small glimpse of the sky. He looked out the cave as much as he could and saw nothing but darkness and a few stars. 'Too early.'

He thought of who could possibly be up at this time and just like that, his mind was back on Mheetu. Why would he want to leave? How could he just go without telling his closest friends? Did he think he would hurt his friends as little as possible if he didn't inform them of his decision to leave, or was he making it easier on himself? Kopa let out a large sigh and dropped his head to his paws. He suddenly realized the immense weight of his eyelids and began to close them. 'More sleep is what I need.' He figured as he tried to drift off into an unconscious state of mind.

Not even a few seconds passed before he opened his eyes, realizing that too was a task he might as well deem impossible. He let out another sigh. So much has been going on, the cub couldn't help but think something was about to happen. In fact, he felt it. It was a feeling he couldn't explain but he somehow knew something was about to happen that would change everything. He didn't know how to describe the feeling, not even to himself, but he just…could feel it. What was it? Will it be a good or bad event? Will all these troubles go away or will more be piled on?

It was not long before the cub was finally asleep. His mind was not quite at rest however, since the cub's eyes constantly were fidgeting in all directions under his closed eyelids and his lips kept moving as if speaking at a level so low, only he knew what he was saying. This continued all night.

"AHH!" Kopa threw himself up out of his sleep and onto his feet, ready to defend himself from the nothingness that was around him. His heavy panting and roughened up fur was enough of a reassurance that he was awake and not still trapped in whatever dream he just awoke from. After looking around a few times, his breathing level dropped and his stiffened up muscles loosened. Luckily his parents and most of the other lions in the den were still asleep. The few that were awake didn't seem to notice his abrupt awakening.

He gave one final scan of the area around him and after seeing Vitani, peacefully asleep next to baby Kovu, he accepted his security and headed outside to analyze what was just displayed in his head for the past few hours. He found his movements were surprisingly slow but he was comfortable with the speed and had no intentions of speeding up. He nearly dragged his paws with every step on his way out until he plopped his tail end down and starred at the same usual sight.

Déjà vu kicked in as not much later Vitani strolled out and sat next to him like she did so many times before. "I swear, every time I see that morning sun–" She paused and took a deep intake of the morning air. "I feel the new day start."

"Yeah." Kopa replied with his thoughts somewhere else.

"What's on your mind?"

"What?" Kopa asked in response, trying to act as if all was good.

"Don't try and tell me nothing's wrong. Come on, what's bothering you?" She said with a helpful, friendly smile. Kopa looked at her and suddenly felt comforted. The warmth spread through him every time he focused on her smile. Mheetu might be gone but I still have friends to cheer me up. Close friends.

"Don't laugh when I tell you…"

Vitani gave a small, preemptive giggle before asking, "Tell me what?" He smile was still evident.

"It's about a dream I had. And a feeling I've been having for a while now." Kopa answered with a troubled voice.

Vitani's smile faded away as she realized whatever was eating at her friend, it was pretty worrisome. "Go on."

"Well, it started with me saying goodbye to Mheetu….

Kopa stood there, starring with tear filled eyes as one of his best friends told him he was leaving. There was nothing he could do. He wanted to pin him down and cling onto him to make him stay but he knew that wasn't going to work. He tried to be strong, knowing that if him and Mheetu switched places, he wouldn't want to be held back and Mheetu would let him leave. He couldn't tell what last was said between him and Mheetu but whatever it was, it was enough to comfort him as he saw his uncle, more like a brother, walk away. Suddenly everything faded away.

He was lying down calmly in the savanna. He looked down at his body and saw that it was not his, despite how much it felt like his. He turned his head back up, not questioning the abnormality and saw a lioness strut toward him. She looked familiar but he could not tell who it was for she was the same age as Kopa's current body and he didn't know any lionesses of that age. As she came closer, her facial expression displayed strong adoration and passion for the lion she was approaching. She slowly and seductively lied down next to Kopa and nudged him. Kopa didn't know how to react but apparently he didn't have to. Without hesitation, Kopa felt himself lick her on the cheek. He didn't know what was going on; it was as if he was a passenger in this strange other body of his. But he didn't mind because he felt at ease, peaceful, loved. The scene faded away again. He was back to his normal cub body and was perplexed on a darkness that began to surround him.

It was a strange darkness that didn't only limit his sight, but also all good feelings he had. He didn't know what was going on but as the darkness became more prevalent, he got angry. He still was not in control of his body. He began to run as if chasing something, someone. He smelt a scent he knew all too well, even if he couldn't identify it. It was an intoxicating scent and it was obvious that was the drive for his pursuit. He stopped and crouched down. His focus was on an imaginary object not too far from him. He knew he was looking at something, he just couldn't tell what. His mind tried to see what his body was looking at but it was as if only his body could see it. Kopa leaned forward slightly, ready to pounce. He felt his legs spring up as he dove over the invisible barrier between him and the nothing that he was attacking but he didn't land. He continued to fall into the continued darkness that still surrounded him.

Finally he took control of his own body again but it seemed useless to move as he just kept falling. He felt his speed decrease until he stopped and began to float. There were no surfaces around him yet he stayed neither moving forward or downward. He looked around but still only saw black. Suddenly he heard a very sinister laugh. He turned toward the laugh and saw a set of large eyes glaring down at him as if he was prey to the eyes. Kopa screamed as he felt a sharp pain across his midsection and he began to fall again. He soon lost consciousness as he drifted away.

When he woke up, he found himself in the same older body as before but in place he had never been or even seen. It was on the edge of a forest with trees he has never seen before. The small grassy turf he currently laid on was next to a beach. He had never seen a beach before but heard stories from other creatures about a strip of land soft enough to move underneath your foot and made with particles small enough to get caught under your nails, bordering an endless river. He looked out at the beautiful sight.

As he strolled down the beach, he saw the grassed land rise steeply until there was a large cliff on the other side of the beach, opposite from the water. Growth continued to sprout out of the rock wall as water trickled down in designated places. He came across a large water fall that turned into a small pool. Kopa looked around and saw many rocks that looked to perfectly shaped to be natural. They were ruins of some sort. He gazed at the symbols carved into the rocks and wondered what they meant, or who left them. He turned and looked out to sea and saw a large rocky structure made of similar rocks. He began to tread into the water. It seemed to not go deeper than his elbows until he was right up at the structure. It was clear the structure was destroyed but he felt a strange felling when looking at it. He wondered if someone once called this place home, and if so, who or what even. A fearful thought entered Kopa's mind; what if this is where everyone is heading? A place where the lives of the past are lost in mindless scratches on weathered down rocks. What if his Pride would soon turn out like this place, lost in time with nothing left behind but questions. He walked away from the submerged aquatic ruins hoping his mind would travel somewhere else.

On his way back to shore, Kopa came across one last rock, protruding out of the water just enough to have the top a few inches above the washing waves. He looked down at it and saw the first thing he recognized through the entire dream. A lion's paw print. Did this place use to be another Pride? He knew it couldn't be true because the only known creatures to make such elaborate drawings on hard stone were humans and none has been seen anywhere near the Pridelands in generations. But then again, he wasn't in the Pridelands. He looked around to see if anyone was watching. Why, he didn't know, but after he concluded he was still the only live being around, he placed his paw down on the indented paw printed rock. His paw fit perfectly with the one on the rock. He felt a strong wind and as he sat there, the world underneath him and the rock he still rested his paw on moved away in the blink of an eye. He watched in astonishment as the towering cliff quickly vanished in the distance as it sped off miles away. Everything went dark again but unlike before it was just darkness.

….I became scared. I could feel my heart rate speed up and I began to breathe heavily. I felt the strange sense that something was going to happen, something big. Then I woke up." Kopa finished, looking at the ground still focusing on the story he just told.

"Well…." Vitani didn't know what to say. "What do you think it means?"

"I don't know but I still feel like something is going to happen. It's scary because it's to the point where I almost know something is going to happen. And I don't know if it's good or bad."

"I'm sure everything will all be fine." Vitani said softly as she leaned Kopa gently and nudged the side of his head. Kopa was reminded of the older lioness in his dream, as he felt like he did then, only a bit different now. He didn't note the feeling and dismissed it without second thought.

"I think I died." Kopa finally said, bringing his main thought about his dream into words. Vitani leaned off him and looked at him, both worried and confused. Kopa looked at her and realized he should explain. "In my dream, I think I died. The slashing pain I felt, I think it was me dying."

"Kopa, don't say that."

"It's true. And I wasn't any older than I am now when that happened in my dream. And when I woke up in that strange place by the water, I was older again." Kopa paused as he thought more and more about his interpretation. "Vitani, I'm scared." He whispered as his voice broke its normal controlled tone with a small whimper.

"Kopa…." Vitani said pitifully to her friend. She leaned back on him and starred into his eyes. He didn't stare back, not wanting to show her his weakness as he was on the merge of tears. "Everything will be fine. Your life is not in danger. And if you don't believe it, I'll make sure that it will be true." She licked him on the cheek and rested her head on his shoulder. Nothing more was said as the two sat, starring off into the rising sun.

*o*

Kopa continued to muse about his dream all day. Wandering alone in the fields just thinking. Though Vitani helped him feel a bit better about the whole situation, he couldn't help but shake the definite feeling that something was going to happen. He didn't know what would happen but he was split between dread and anticipation about it. He was anxious to find out what'll happen but dreaded it in the same way, feeling it was more bad than good.

After circling his thoughts through and through, he understood that he wouldn't ever know what was going on in his mind until something happened where his questions got answered.

"I'm tired of all these damn questions and no answers." He mumbled to himself.

Discerning ways to put his busy mind on vacation, he tried to find someone to spend some time with. Vitani was watching over Kovu again and Nuka had been acting strangely ever since Kovu was born. Again Kopa wished Mheetu was still around. Kopa figured he'd spend some time with his mother since Kiara was expected to birth within a few days.

Trekking up Pride Rock, he found Zira watching over Vitani as she tumbled around the stationary Kovu, entertaining him. She directed her focus on Kopa for a split second before turning back to watching her children but Kopa stood, frozen in disbelief. When Kopa and Zira's eyes met, for that mere half second, the cub saw something that he did not want to see. He became petrified with fear. A chill ran down his spine sending every hair on his body on end. He was focusing on the image that was suddenly plastered on his mind. Zira's eyes matched the eyes in his dream. The eyes that caught him while he was falling just to slash him with searing pain were that of his best friend's mother. How could this be? He was sure the owner of the eyes in his dream was the one that also murdered him but how could that be Zira? Her daughter was his best friend. How could she be the one that killed him?

"Kopa? You alright?" Simba said as he saw his son, pale as snow, starring off in the distance. Kopa slowly came back to his senses. He looked over at Zira again and her glare was now directed at Simba. This time he could tell from her stare that she was not too fond of Simba. In fact, she despised him. Maybe it wasn't him that was killed, maybe it was his father!

"I'm fine." Kopa answered his father as color began to flood through his body again.

"You sure? You look a little sick." Simba observed.

"No, I'm fine." He reassured his father before walking over to him, not looking away from Zira even for a split second. He walked past Simba and into the cave. Simba followed. Inside, Nala was lying toward the back with her legs positioned awkwardly away from her belly so the weight of the baby wouldn't hurt them.

"How's my sister coming along?" Kopa asked gently.

"She's anxious to get some fresh air." Nala said with an uncomfortable smile as she felt another kick from the cub inside her. "I think she may come sooner than expected." Nala continued.

"I hope so. I'm just as excited as Kiara." Simba said happily, comforting his mate.

Simba sat down next to her but still leaving some space between them. Kopa sat across from his father but about the same distance from his mother.

"Dad? Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Well…. Does Zira not like you?" The cub said with some hesitation. Simba stopped and slowly looked at Nala. She gave him a similar look back. Not knowing what he could do, he just turned to his son and answered back.

"Zira has been having some…. authority issues recently. We've been watching her, making sure she doesn't try anything dangerous."

"What do you mean?"

"Well…." Simba really didn't want to explain it all to his son, especially since him and Vitani were such good friends. "She has been acting suspicious…. As if she wants to fight back."

"Fight back from what?" Kopa kept pushing the questions on his parents. It was his curiosity that was getting to him, not his intent to see what was going on with Zira.

"She thinks that I killed Scar."

"Well that shouldn't matter shouldn't it? I mean if he was so bad, why does she care?"

"Well, she was to be Scar's mate. They were betrothed shortly before his death. Once Scar died, she asked to stay with the Pride and promised to serve me as rightful king. After a while, however, she became defiant to my authority. She began to blame me for the death of Scar." Simba paused. He closed his eyes to recollect his thoughts and dropped his head down to steady his emotions. "I don't deny I am to blame for my Uncle Scar's death," Simba opened his eyes again and looked back at Kopa. "but I did not kill him. She refuses to believe me. And recently she has become more and more resilient to accept the truth. I've been trying to deal with her for a while."

Nala noticed that Simba's explanation did not seem to comfort Kopa. "Why do you ask anyway?" She asked.

"Well…." He was a little embarrassed to share his dream with his parents but knew he had already gone too deep. "I had a dream and I think Zira wants to kill you dad." Those words hovered over the three like a cloud. Both Simba and Nala didn't move. The look of shock on their faces gave enough of an explanation on what was going on in their minds.

"What makes you say that?" Simba choked up.

"I don't know. But since my dream, I've had this bad feeling in my gut. And I saw how she looked at you earlier. It looked like she really wanted to hurt you."

Simba bowed his head. He has been thinking the same thing for a while now but couldn't take any action because Zira hasn't done anything wrong so far. There was no way to confirm his suspicion at this point unless Zira admitted she intends to harm the king. She hasn't shared such information with anyone so there was no proof. But just like Kopa, Simba knew. He knew that she was looking to strike but he just didn't know how or when.

"Don't you worry Kopa, I'll be just fine." He finally said as his head rose back up and he looked at his son, straight in the eyes. "I promise, I will not let her lay a paw on me." Kopa responded with a small smile before falling back into deep thought again. Somehow his assurance didn't comfort him but he knew he was right. She would never be able to take him down. He has never seen Zira fight but he was sure Simba would win. But somehow Kopa felt this was about a fight between Zira and Simba but something more. Could she hurt him without actually fighting him?

Kopa tried to dismiss his thoughts as he lied down. He closed his eyes and rested his head on his paws. He didn't realize how the dream had disrupted his sleep so much. He began to feel tired and before long, he was asleep.

"Kopa…."

Kopa shrugged a bit.

"Koooooppa…."

Still asleep, he let out a small grunt and swat his paw gently in the direction he thought the sound came from.

"Kopa, wake up!"

"Ah!" Kopa bounced up to his feet in attentive surprise. "I'm up, I'm up." He frantically looked around, blinking his eye lids rapidly trying to keep them open. When his vision finally focused he saw Vitani nearly rolling laughing. "What was that for?"

"You jumped!" She managed to say in amongst her chuckles.

"Well yeah, I was sleeping." He said a bit aggravated as he rubbed one of his eyes with his paw.

"It's already late day. You don't want to be up all night do you? Come on, let's play!" Vitani jumped up and walked speedily outside. "Come on Kopa!" She shouted from the outside, in. Kopa still moved as slow as possible, giving his limbs every opportunity to prepare themselves for the sudden movement they were about to endure. He let out a yawn and began stretching his arms forward so much that his belly nearly dragged on the ground. Almost simultaneous with the finishing of his yawn, his body snapped back to its normal posture. He then lazily sauntered outside. As soon as his fur hit the sun light, Vitani's fur hit his.

"Gotcha!" She yelled as she jumped off of him. Still waking up, Kopa slowly got back up, starred at Vitani, and let out another yawn. "Seriously, how could you still be sleepy after that? Not only that, you slept for a good few hours."

"I probably would have slept for more…" He mumbled under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing." He snapped back quickly.

"I doubt it. Come on, let's get Nuka and…." She stopped for a bit before finishing her thought. "Let's go get Nuka to play tag." She corrected herself a bit more somberly.

"You were going to say Mheetu." Kopa said in the same tone.

"I know you miss him Kopa, we all do. But you need to stop moping around about it. Let's go and do something to get your mind off it." She lost all her liveliness as she responded both helpfully and a bit annoyed.

"Vitani?"

"Yeah?"

"What's the deal between your mother and my father?" Now that Kopa's mind was back on the subject, he felt it best to ask her about Zira now rather than later.

"What do you mean?" She said a bit unsure.

"You know what I mean."

"Well… She doesn't like to talk about it to me but I've overheard some of her conversations with Nuka. She doesn't really like him. She keeps talking about wanting to 'get him back' for what he did to Scar. I've noticed her opinions of Simba have been reflecting on Nuka."

"Was she real close to Scar?" Kopa continued to quiz Vitani about her mother.

"I don't know. It was before I was born. Nuka's told me about him though. He didn't really like him while he and my mother were betrothed but recently he has been talking about how much better off we'd be if Scar was still around. I don't see anything wrong with Simba though and it's kind of scaring me how Nuka and mother have been acting since Kovu's birth."

"Can I tell you something?"

"Sure. You can tell me anything." Vitani responded with a smile. Kopa returned a weak one, still unsure on how Vitani will take his next comment.

"I think your mother is plotting to kill my father."

"What?" She was shocked but a bit of anger was showing on her face.

"The eyes in my dream were Zira's. I'm sure of it. And when you were playing with Kovu earlier today, I saw her look at my father with the same glare.

"No! How could you say that? My mother may not be shoulder to shoulder with Simba but she wouldn't try and kill him." It was evident now that she was angry.

"I don't mean to offend, it was just a thought!" Kopa shouted back.

"Listen, all of what is going on is getting to your head. Maybe you actually need to sleep. You're just paranoid about that dream and about Mheetu leaving." She began to walk away, but it was clear she was not finished with her thought.

"Fine, maybe next time you shouldn't wake me up. I could 'sort out' all of your stubbornness." And they both stormed off.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:**

Here it is, the event that set's up the story. Sorry it has kind of taken a while but I assure you this will be a good chapter. It's been crunch time and finals week so that explained the long time no update.

I thought of a new way to do this chapter since a lot was going on. I kind of did two or three perspective changes so don't be aggrivated with some repeated material but it all has a purpose; to get the persepectives of Simba and Nala, Zira and Vitani, and a special guest... :O

ENJOY and REVIEW (and by review I mean review/critique/give input.)

* * *

Chapter 7: A Death Too Soon

'How could she be so stubborn? I know what I saw, Zira plans on killing my father. Plans on killing the king! I don't care if she is her mother or not…' Kopa thought to himself. It took a few seconds for his own words to sink in, but when they did he realized he would have reacted the same way if someone said they thought his mother was planning to murder someone.

"What have I done?" He stopped and asked himself aloud. He suddenly turned around and dashed back toward the place where he and Vitani had their little dispute. Not expecting to see her in the same spot, he looked out from the protruding cliff. She couldn't have gotten far. He squinted his eyes and saw a small figure slowly walking through the tall grass near the northeast. He was about to take off, but stopped for a double take toward her direction. A larger, darker figure was not too far off of Vitani, following her and keeping his distance, but trying (and succeeding) to not be seen. He figured it was just Nuka eavesdropping on an angry sister who was probably mumbling under her breath like Kopa was doing not too long before. He took off and chanced Vitani down.

He reached the taller grass and tried to follow the small tracks his friend left behind. After a while, he lost the trail and just began shouting for her.

"What do you want now?" She answered as she appeared through the tall grass.

"Vitani, I didn't mean to incriminate your mother like that." Kopa began to explain.

"You pretty much called her a plotted killer for what, a dream you had?" She snapped back.

"Listen, I'm sorry. I–" He was quickly interrupted.

"No, don't even start. I'm tired of how you've become. Since Mheetu left you've just been moping around, dreading on some immanent insignificant nothingness. I'm tired of it. Come see me when you're back to normal." She finished as she stormed off through the grass. Kopa didn't bother trying to follow her.

'She was right.' Kopa thought to himself. 'I need to sort all this out.' He sat down and lowered his head, both in melancholy and deep thought. "What is going on with me?" He whispered to himself, hoping by asking out loud, he could come up with an answer.

A twig broke a few feet to Kopa's left. His head snapped toward the sound. "Anyone there?" He shouted out. Nothing. "Anyone?" After a short pause, he dropped his head again in thought. Slowly enough, he turned to walk away. Trying to find someplace secluded, he ventured a bit more into the field, farther away from Pride Rock. He came across an open area and lied down. Not too long after, he heard someone call out to him.

"Kopa my dear."

The words struck the cub with fear. He knew who it was but the way she said those three words sent chills up and down Kopa's entire body. "Hello Zira." He answered back nervously.

"Having fun out in the field I presume?"

"Sort of." He answered innocently and shyly.

"Playing all alone? Now how could that be any fun?" Zira continued as she began to circle the cub.

"Well–"

"It's okay Kopa, to be alone. If you don't want to admit that you lost all your friends, I understand that." Zira sounded as if she was smarting off to Kopa but Kopa was a bit bewildered, thinking of a reason for her to be like that to him.

"What?"

"I mean, what with your friends deserting you."

"Mheetu left because he wanted to move on with his life." When Kopa finally said it, he understood what Vitani was telling him. As if saying it aloud made it all clear, he finally accepted Mheetu's departure. But this was no time for acknowledgements or personal triumphs. He was still focused on the large lioness circling him with every movement, a threatening look in her devilish eyes.

"Of course he did. And Nuka and Vitani turned on you to move on as well." Kopa couldn't tell if that was sarcasm or not.

"Vitani and Nuka have done what?" He said more surprised at the inaccuracy of Zira's statement than at the statement itself.

"Well, maybe Vitani hasn't….yet." Nuka said as he crept through the grass.

"Nuke, what are you doing?" Kopa replied a quite bit uneasy.

"What needs to be done to avenge Scar!"

"What? What do I have to do with Scar?"

"Nothing. Which makes it all the better." Zira answered with another grin. Kopa could tell this time it was an evil grin, one that shone with the intent to kill. Zira slowly began to creep closer. "See, Simba killed our leader. My betrothed! He must pay but not by his own blood. I want him to feel how I felt." Suddenly it all made sense to Kopa.

She drew her claws and lunged forward at him. He quickly dove forward and missed her pounce by a hair. He ran off as fast as he could through the tall grass. His heavy panting and the rustling grass didn't help in covering his location at all. Zira was right on his tail. Right, left. Kopa couldn't shake her. He didn't seem to know where he was heading. He raised his head up to look for Pride Rock but couldn't see it. Another turn and sitting there waiting for him to come around, Nuka blindsided Kopa and tackled him. He responded with a slash to Nuka's face and kick to the jaw. Nuka fell over and his head hit against a rock, knocking him unconscious. Kopa didn't take time to see if his ex-friend was okay. He was still in fear for his life and took off again. This time he was able to see Pride Rock over the grass. He must have been running away from it the entire time because it was definitely closer when he and Zira first met in the field.

As he continued to run, Zira was able to spot him. She was closing in on him faster than before. Deep down Kopa knew he didn't have a chance in out running her; a young cub against a full grown hunting lioness. It was only a matter of time. He looked back for half a second to see the distance between him and his killer and that was all that was needed for him to lose focus on his footing as he tripped over a combination of a rock and his own feet. He landed hard and rolled, stopping on his back and facing Zira. She took no hesitation and pounced. Kopa could do nothing but brace for what was to happen next. Zira landed right in front of him and raised her claw-drawn paw, ready to strike.

Suddenly, a dark colored beast flew at her from the side but in their collision, Zira's raised paw swung across Kopa's unguarded chest and slashed it. He let out a loud shriek of pain before falling on his back. He raised his head up enough to see Zira fighting off this other lion off to the side. He then looked down at his injury. Blood was running out of his stomach like a river. He slowly rubbed his fingers into the wound. He felt another jolt of pain but he didn't react. He felt the soft tissue of the gash and began to feel light headed. Everything started going dark he felt his head fall back to the ground, not even having the strength to keep it up. He looked up at the sky; it was a very cloudy day. He didn't seem to notice until now. He felt a breeze and took as deep of a breath as he could. Suddenly the dark enclosed his vision like a tunnel. He was done.

*o*

Simba and Nala were lying together in their favorite spot a bit up Pride Rock when a lioness came sprinting up to them. The two lounging lions sprung up at her suddenness. "Simba, Nala, come quick. It's Kopa!" She quickly turned around and ran off not even waiting for the others to follow. They took the hint on the importance of the matter and ran as fast as they could after her. Nala couldn't move too quickly so they slowed down for her. Simba continued to ask what was going on but he never got an answer.

They approached the tall grass and a few meters in, they saw another lioness standing in a small opening over some small lump. Nala stepped forward first and saw her son lying there. "Kopa?" Her whole body sank as she took in the sight. She felt her body go cold with shock, fear, disbelief, and despair as she starred at the body of her son, lying there will blood pooled in a deep gash in his chest and his body lying motionless. "KOPA!" She ran forward and plopped down next to him with tears already pouring down her face. "NO!"

Simba stayed back, too traumatized at what he was looking at. "My son…" He said softly before dropping down to the ground. He lowered his head and let his tears drip down his cheek.

Nala tried to lift up Kopa's limp head, starring at his closed eyes hoping they would twitch with the slightest hint of life. "No, no, no, no , no, no… Kopa!" She cried out again.

Simba's head snapped up. The continued thought of the death of his son and sound of his mate's despair made him snap. "WHO DID THIS?" He yelled at the lioness that stayed with the body. "TELL ME, WHO DID THIS!"

"Sir, I– I don't know." She answered back, fearful of the king's sudden rage.

His eyes glowed with a fiery red and his breathing deepened. He looked down and saw a line of blood, as if flung, leading toward a patch of grass that was obviously recently disturbed as many of the stalks were broken. He jumped over and saw a bloody paw print on the ground. Close behind was half of another one. They stopped after that but they were heading somewhere. Simba looked up and saw a familiar tree on top of a hill in the distance. "Zira" He whispered with a cold, merciless tone before bolting off toward the tree.

Nala sniffled and looked up to see Simba bolt off. The two lionesses instinctively ran after him. "Simba…" She said lowly. She dropped her head again and closed her eyes, pushing more tears out. "Don't leave me…." She laid motionless next to her dead son for a bit before nudging him and slowly getting up to move away in a direction opposite of Pride Rock.

"Simba wait! We don't know for sure!" A lioness shouted as she trailed Simba in his mad dash to for compensation and revenge. It was only white noise to him; he was in a rampage. He approached the hill and saw Zira lounging there under her favorite tree. He jumped in front of her and let out a loud roar. He was still panting heavily with a face of rage.

"You!"

"What's wrong Simba? You seem angry." Zira said nonchalantly.

"Don't you toy with me! Get on your feet, NOW!" He shouted at her.

"My, my, some manners would be appreciated." Simba roared again in her face. "Fine. You could have just asked." She slowly rose to her feet. Immediately, Simba smacked her across the face with claws drawn. She fell to the ground with the scratches evident on her cheek. She growled back and tackled Simba. He rolled her over and kicked her off him. She landed on her side, unable to move from having the wind knocked out of her. Simba quickly hoisted himself up and stood tall in front of her.

"An innocent life, gone. MY SON! Gone."

"Kind of you to think of my betrothed as well." She snapped smartly.

"You coward! Killing a child? What kind of evil monster are you." He huffed angrily. His eyes were still blood red.

"I did what I had to do."

"BULLSHIT! If you wanted revenge, why did you not come for me?"

"Now we both know I'm still weak from my pregnancy. Would you think I would join an unfair fight?"

Simba dove back onto his son's murderer. He positioned himself with his legs around her waist and continued to slash each paw across her face. "Did you think my son had a fair chance? DID YOU?" Zira thrust Simba off of her and maneuvered to the side. She was taking a severe beating. Blood was dripping from her muzzle.

"Why don't you just kill me." She suggested as she spat blood out onto the ground in front of her.

"Gladly, I will." Simba said as he slowly approached her. She stood tall, either waiting for her fate or knowing what was going to happen next. Suddenly a breeze rolled in and Simba stopped progressing on her. His breathing slowed, but the rage was still in his eyes. "No." He dropped his head, hating himself for what he was about to do. "It would be my every joy to grab your neck and claw it open right now. But I won't." He looked back up at her. "Get out of my Pridelands."

"What?" Zira asked before quickly realizing this was completely plausible.

"Get out of my Pridelands and never return. Live with the jackals and hyenas on the scraps and leftovers of those who have been banished before you. You are exiled to the Outlands. And if you ever return, I will kill you."

"Not much of a proud land anyways since Scar–"

"DON'T…..test me." Simba interrupted her.

"And you're just going to leave my children all alone?" She said not trying to be sympathetic but mocking the tone nonetheless.

"They have done no crime. I'm giving you the option: leave your cubs here and have them live, or bring them with you and let them die in the barren wastelands." Simba looked dead in Zira's eyes. He hoped she'd take up his offer but was completely fine with having Zira suffer the same pain he was in.

"Don't you EVER touch my children." She snapped.

"Fine. Now get out of my sight." Simba spat and slowly turned around.

"This isn't over Simba."

He stopped, tilted his head and said, "It sure as hell isn't." then continued on his path.

He began to run back to where Kopa's body was and where he thought Nala still was mourning when a third lioness came up to him. "Simba, Nuka was found unconscious near Kopa's body. Not only that, Nala and the body are gone."

"Nala…" He said sadly. "She probably took him with her. Any idea where she went?" He said masking the tiny hiccup of a cry he almost let out.

"No." The lioness answered back just as low.

"Bring Nuka to Zira." He told the third lioness before commanding the two lionesses that were with him before to head back to Pride Rock and find Vitani and kovu. He didn't want to have to deal with them as well. "I'm going to find Nala." He concluded before running off. He knew exactly where she was too.

Simba approached a small brook with a surprisingly large amount of trees for the bare savanna of the Pridelands. It was the place where Nala gave birth to Kopa. Across the creek he saw a pale beige lioness with her head on her paws, staring endlessly into the water. The amount of tears acted like another spring as the salty water flowed from her eyes and into the stream. He slowly approached her. The sight of her anguish and misery made Simba feel just as depressed. He lay down next to her and nudged her neck.

"Simba, our son…" She whispered to him. Tears began to fall off Simba again.

"Oh Nala."

"He was so young, our prince. I don't know what to do." Her final statement was barely audible as she broke down again. She leaned her head on Simba's mane. "I'm losing it again. It's Scar's reign all over again."

"You can't let go now. You didn't before and you're not now. Think of Kiara." Simba reassured his weary wife. The statement seemed only to distress her more as she began to sob.

"Don't let me stray. Please don't leave me Simba, not again."

He moved over and readjusted himself to be flush with her body. He placed his arm on her back and held her closely. "I will never leave you." He said before finally losing his own kingly composure. The two stayed there for hours, grieving and comforting each other.

*o*

Zira raised her claw-drawn paw, ready to strike the defenseless cub in front of her.

Suddenly, a dark colored beast flew at her from the side but in their collision, Zira's raised paw swung across Kopa's unguarded chest and slashed it. He let out a loud shriek of pain before falling on his back. Zira wrestled with the creature, trying to break his hold on her. She managed to wedge a foot in between her and her attacker's chest and kicked him away.

"You picked a convenient time to cross me Malki!" Zira shouted as the two stopped for a bit, catching their breath.

"Leave the cub along, he has done nothing!"

"And what makes you want to be all justified all of a sudden?"

Malki slowly rose up to all fours. "The same thing that drove me to do every selfless act in my life." He said softly.

"You? Selfless act? Are you shitting me!" She shouted in rage.

The two stood silent as a voice sounded off in the distance. "It came from over here." The two looked at each other for a split second before bolting off in opposite directions. Malki, back toward Kopa and Zira in a random vector.

"What am I doing?" Zira asked herself. She began to slow her pace from a sprint to a soft job to a walk. "What am I running from?" From a distance she heard Nala's helpless cries at the first sight of her bleeding out child. A smile grew on Zira's face. She soon approached her favorite resting spot and plopped down, lounging under the tree. She looked down at her paw and saw it was stained with blood and dirt. She began to lick it clean.

Suddenly Simba jumped out in front of her and roared loudly. He was panting heavily with a face of rage. "You!" He shouted

"What's wrong Simba? You seem angry." She said trying to be as ignorant of the situation as possible.

"Don't you toy with me! Get on your feet, NOW!"

"My, my, some manners would be appreciated." Simba roared again in her face. "Fine. You could have just asked." She slowly rose to her feet. Immediately, Zira felt a strong paw smacked her across the face. She fell to the ground with the scratches evident on her cheek. She half expected it for what she just did but she became angry and defensive nevertheless. Though she was a bit surprised Simba caught on so quickly, she didn't want to waste time trying to convince him of her false innocence. She growled back and tackled Simba. He rolled her over and kicked her off him. She landed on her side and was momentarily paralyzed from having the wind knocked out of her. She looked up and saw Simba stood tall in front of her. She didn't realize how big of a lion he was until now. She twitched a bit seeing that he could easily kill her, though she refused to accept it.

"An innocent life, gone. MY SON! Gone."

"Kind of you to think of my betrothed as well." She snapped smartly, trying her hardest to aggravate the king.

"You coward! Killing a child? What kind of evil monster are you." He huffed angrily. His eyes were still blood red.

She took in Simba's words. She killed a defenseless child. She shortly reminisced of a time long ago in her childhood where her life was spared because she was a child. She quickly snapped back to reality and thought for a moment, was it what she had to do or could there have been another way? "I did what I had to do." She answered quickly, ignoring her previous thoughts.

"BULLSHIT! If you wanted revenge, why did you not come for me?"

"Now we both know I'm still weak from my pregnancy. Would you think I would join an unfair fight?" Even though she meant every word she was saying, she was surprised at them.

Simba dove back onto Zira. She tried to get out of his hold but couldn't and he soon positioned himself with his legs around her waist and continued to slash each paw across her face. She felt like fighting back, but then again felt like accepting the punishment. "Did you think my son had a fair chance? DID YOU?" Zira had enough and thrust Simba off of her and maneuvered to the side. She stood up and felt the blood drip down her muzzle.

She spat some blood on the ground and noticed it landed on a paw print of hers. She suddenly felt the weight of her crime. Zira's heart and mind began to sink. She murdered. Not only that, but a child. She understood what Scar had told her once; murder is a parasite that eats away at you the longer it lingers over you. She knew she would feel the pain later on so she accepted what she had done and was ready for her punishment. "Why don't you just kill me."

"Gladly, I will." Simba said as he slowly approached her. She stood tall. A bit of her wished she wouldn't have suggested it and another bit was proud that she did; to go honorably. Suddenly a breeze rolled in past her and Simba stopped progressing on her. His breathing slowed, but the rage was still in his eyes. She was confused. "No." He dropped his head. "It would be my every joy to grab your neck and claw it open right now. But I won't." He looked back up at her. "Get out of my Pridelands."

"What?" Zira said in shocked disappointment. She wanted to reconcile.

"Get out of my Pridelands and never return. Live with the jackals and hyenas on the scraps and leftovers of those who have been banished before you. You are exiled to the Outlands. And if you ever return, I will kill you."

Suddenly she was back to her regular cold self. She didn't care that she killed the cub. Though she still didn't want to put a name to him, she was glad the prince was dead at her hands. She was glad she put this much pain on the lion who killed her lover. It took a lot for Simba to exile and Zira knew this. Maybe it was something that happened in his childhood, but what she did know was the only other person he exiled was Malki. She knew this was a big deal for Simba to exile her but she felt almost accomplished that she managed to get herself exiled. She began taunting him again. "Not much of a proud land anyways since Scar–"

"DON'T…..test me." Simba interrupted her.

"And you're just going to leave my children all alone?" She said trying to push the King even father. She knew he wouldn't put children in harm even if they were hers.

"They have done no crime. I'm giving you the option: leave your cubs here and have them live, or bring them with you and let them die in the barren wastelands." Simba looked dead in Zira's eyes.

She suddenly felt rage again. Her children were all she had, she was not going to lose them as well. "Don't you EVER touch my children." She snapped.

"Fine. Now get out of my sight." Simba spat and slowly turned around.

Zira let out a small smile. "This isn't over Simba." He stopped for a moment. Zira wasn't sure if he mumbled something or not but he soon continued walking. She waited there for her children, knowing Simba wouldn't allow for her to get any closer to Pride Rock than she already was.

It wasn't long before Vitani appeared being escorted by a lioness that held Kovu in her mouth. "Mother, what's going on?" She asked a bit worried and shaken up at the sudden displacement.

"Come with me my dear. We're leaving." Zira answered.

"Leaving?" She asked confused.

The lioness with them gently set Kovu down. She had a sad and lowly expression on her face as Kovu looked up at her with a small chuckled. The lioness quickly turned back and headed to Pride Rock. Another lioness appeared with a still unconscious Nuka on her back. She lowered her body to the ground and let Nuka slowly roll off her. She then turned back to Pride Rock. Vitani ran over to Nuka and shook him a bit. After not responding, she lowered her head to his chest to see if he was still breathing. He was.

"Why is Nuka unconscious? Mother I'm scared."

"Because he failed his mission." Zira whispered lightly with a sour look on her face. "Come on dear, let's go."

"Go where? Mother? What's going on." Vitani said almost trembling. A few tears began to fall. Her fear for not knowing what was going on was hitting her hard. She first was told to evacuate, her brother is unconscious and they are 'leaving'.

Zira slowly scooped up Nuka on her snout and hoisted him onto her back. "We are leaving to the Outlands. We've been banished." She concluded before picking up Kovu and gently cradling him in her jaw.

"Banished? For– for what? What is going on?" Her fear overcame her again.

"'imba egiled up oo uh Ou-ands." Zira stopped for a bit and set Kovu down. "Vitani, do take your brother please." Vitani followed and took Kovu in her mouth. "Simba exiled us to the Outlands." She thought for a moment before continuing. She knew she didn't want Vitani to know the truth so she came up with a false excuse. "He blamed me for the death of his son when really it was at his own hands. We are to never return to the Pridelands." She thought Vitani's reaction would be directed at the main point of her statement; Simba killed Kopa. But she was mistaken.

" 'ou mean….'opa's 'ead?" Vitani began to swell. She stopped and set Kovu down. Kovu looked up to see what the purpose was of the water that was falling on his head and found Vitani buried in a distraught misery. "Kopa's gone?" She looked up at her mother with glassy eyes and a quivering mouth.

"I'm afraid so, my dear. I'm so sorry."

Vitani lost it. She fell on her belly and began to cry hysterically. Her anguish was so strong, she felt like the only way she would be happy again was if she died as well. All her thoughts were focused on the adventurous young cub. Memories flashed before her: seeing him stare endlessly at the rising sun in the mornings, playing tag out in the field, wrestling with him until they were so tired they just laid close together for hours on end, their accidental encounter on the rocks, the kiss she gave him when he was troubled by Mheetu's departure and his dream. She thought of his dream– he was right. And finally she thought how they had just fought not a mere few minutes before. She cried even harder after that thought. Their last encounter ever ended in a disaster. Kopa tried to apologize but she rejected him. That was the last time they were together. She felt like she just got stabbed in the stomach by the spear of regret. Kopa died thinking Vitani was mad at him. And now it was too late to correct that. The cub's young life was over and Vitani was mad at him when it happened.

"Dear, I'm sorry. I know you miss him but crying is not going to bring him back."

Vitani turned her back on her mother and ran off, still bawling.

"Don't make this hard on me Vitani…" Zira said a bit annoyed.

Around this time Nuka came to. He looked up and saw Vitani run off and noticed he was being carried by Zira. Still half out of it, he leaned over toward her ear. "Did I do good mother?" She gave him no response. "Don't tell Vitani I had a part in it…"

*o*

Zira raised her claw-drawn paw, ready to strike the defenseless cub in front of her.

Suddenly, a dark colored beast flew at her from the side but in their collision, Zira's raised paw swung across Kopa's unguarded chest and slashed it. He let out a loud shriek of pain before falling on his back.

"You picked a convenient time to cross me Malki!" Zira shouted as she and her attacker, Kopa's defender, caught their breath.

"Leave the cub along, he has done nothing!" He shouted.

"And what makes you want to be all justified all of a sudden?"

Malki slowly rose up to all fours. "The same thing that drove me to do every selfless act in my life." He said softly.

"You? Selfless act? Are you shitting me!" She shouted in rage.

The two stood silent as a voice sounded off in the distance. "It came from over here." The two looked at each other for a split second before bolting off in opposite directions. Malki, back toward Kopa and Zira in a random vector.

He stopped over Kopa's bleeding out body, thinking on how to help without being seen by the approaching party. He swiveled his head a few times before hearing the approaching voice again. "I don't know, it sounded like a scream!" He quickly dove into some brush behind the cub's body. There was a dead bush there and he crawled underneath it, hoping it was enough cover to hide him from view. He lay there silently and motionlessly.

Two lionesses came into the place where Kopa laid and their soft and simple "Oh my God." was enough to show their shock and emotion. "Get Simba and Nala, NOW!" The other lioness ran off back toward Pride Rock. "How could this have happened?" She said in the same low, sorrowful tone she said before.

Malki sat there waiting, hoping he would not be discovered. For if he was, he knows he would be to blame and Zira would get away. "I'm not taking the hit again. Not this time." He said under his breath. He didn't realize how many insects were out in the field until he stopped moving. The more he wanted to move and swat away the gnats and mosquitoes, the more annoying they became. He bit his lip, knowing if he moved a muscle he would be found.

It was not long before the corpse's parents showed up with the returning lioness. Nala was first. "Kopa?" She looked down and saw the body. "KOPA!" Her expression was one that could not be described by even the saddest features. It looked as if her life just ended. Without hesitation to the child she still had inside her, she threw herself on the ground next to the body and began to cry immensely. "NO!"

Simba stood shocked, eyes as big as the moon and sending the message that he did not believe what he saw. His legs became weak and he too fell to the ground. "My son…" He said softly. He dropped his head and let the tears fall down his cheek.

Nala let out another sob and continued to cry out as she lifted Kopa's limp chin toward her, trying to get him to open his eyes. "No, no, no, no , no, no… Kopa!"

Malki could only feel part of their pain just by their reactions. "He's not dead…" He thought more with more hope than actual fact.

Suddenly Simba's head snapped up. "WHO DID THIS?" He yelled at the lioness that stayed with the body. "TELL ME, WHO DID THIS!"

"Sir, I– I don't know." She answered back shocked, surprised, and fearful of the king's sudden rage.

His eyes glowed with a fiery red and his breathing deepened. Malki could tell he was not one to be messed with. Then again, who would be after the death of their son. He saw him follow something; a trail or tracks of some sort. Malki didn't know of what though. He was a bit relaxed because he was heading in the opposite direction. He stopped for a moment before popping his head up toward somewhere in the distance and then bolted off faster than he'd ever seen a lion run.

Nala sniffled and looked up to see Simba leave. The two lionesses instinctively ran after him and accidentally left Nala alone. "Simba…" She said lowly. She dropped her head again and closed her eyes, pushing more tears out. "Don't leave me…." Malki could tell she was losing her stability. He almost jumped out to comfort her but knew that would only end in disaster. It hit him hard to see how depressed she was and yet only being a few feet from her, he couldn't even comfort the mother who just lost her son. She laid motionless next to her dead son for a bit before nudging him and slowly getting up to move away in a direction opposite of Pride Rock.

Malki waited for a short bit longer. After not hearing any noise for a good while, he jumped out of the bush and slowly approached the body to examine the wound. He didn't realize how bad it was and knew it was only a matter of time. He quickly grabbed the thickest, strongest stalks he saw and wrapped them around the cub's body, tying them tight to help close the wound. It managed to stop the bleeding a bit but he still must react quickly. He slowly maneuvered Kopa onto his back and began to run.

He didn't know where he was heading but all he knew is he had to get out of there and fast. He had to tend to the cub but not in the Pridelands. At least not in the open like he was. Every piece of tall grass stung him like a whip as he bolted past them. He didn't care. He had to move. He jumped out of the grass field like a canon. Unbeknownst to him, a small trench lined the field like a border. He started to lose grip on Kopa as he fell farther toward the ground than expected. He landed with one paw on a soft patch of soil, but the other landed on a hard rock and sent a jolt of pain through his arm. He couldn't put full weight on it. Kopa began to slip and Malki adjusted to catch him, unfortunately by putting more pressure on his now injured foot. He kept on moving though. No matter how much pain he endured or how hard it was going to be to get Kopa to safety, he was going to make sure it happened.

Running with a limp for a good long time, he finally reached a thick patch of trees near the Prideland border. He placed the body near a small stream and opened the makeshift bandages he recently fastened and cleaned out the wound. He pulled some fruit from a tree and mashed it up on a rock and placed the mashed fruit into Kopa's wound acting as an artificial blood clot. He found some reeds from the stream and fixed up another bandage. He had more time to tend to the cub so the bandage was much tighter and much more secure. It was able to stop most of the bleeding. He continued to tend to the 'murdered' prince and once he was done, all Malki could do is wait and hope.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:**

Not much to say for this one. I think it speaks for itself. I really like how it all came together in the end because at one point while writing, I didn't know where I was going but it worked out pretty nicely. I know there still are some questions (and maybe some new ones after this chapter ? maybe), but the next chapter will sum up the 'aftermath.' So don't worry, I haven't forgotten about how the rest of the pride will react to a missing 'dead' body, Kiara's birth, or anything like that (not saying that'll be in the next chapter, just saying I haven't forgotten).

* * *

Chapter 8: Goodbyes and Promises 2

Everything was dark. He knew what happened but didn't know how to react. He knew he felt pain earlier but now, there was none. He tried to move but couldn't. He laid there on his back with his head uncomfortably positioned on the ground.

Suddenly, everything slowly was lit up with light and he could move again. He got up and watched as if the sun rose at an incredible speed. He stood in a shallow pool of water but couldn't feel the wetness at all. There was nothing around for as far as he could see. The ground beneath him and the world around him started moving at incredible speeds but he stayed stationary. Suddenly he saw familiar cliffs approach him at a tremendous speed. Right as the cliffs seemed like there were going to slam into him, they stopped. He looked down and saw that his paw was resting on a tiny rock protruding out of the water. He didn't even know he had his paw raised but it all came together when he moved it off the rock and saw an indented paw print. "I'm dead." Kopa said to himself, realizing this was the world from his dream.

He walked back to the shore and looked for the ruins but to his surprise, they weren't ruins anymore. They were perfectly intact structures that looked like they were erected no earlier than a few days. Not only that, they were inhabited…to a point. The place was alive with movement of the transparent residents. Even the ocean ruins were active. Kopa didn't know how to react. He must be dead. That or insane. He continued to walk around the area. The cliffs were still green with vegetation. About the only thing of the view that didn't change from when he last view the place from his dream was the topography.

He wandered up to the structures to investigate more but he seemed like a ghost to everything around him. Kopa became a bit scared at the lack of influence his presence was making and headed back to where he first entered the area in his dream. He didn't realize how far down the beach he had travelled in his dream but he finally reached the point where the cliff side met the level ground. He was getting close. He had hoped there would be something in the place where he first arrived in his dream, but after walking up and down the forest line, he found nothing.

"What the hell am I supposed to do?"

"Good question."

Kopa turned around so quick, he felt like his eyes wouldn't stop with the rest of his body. What he saw was something he didn't expect in a million lifetimes. He was face to face with himself. Not his current self, but the older self who was last in this place.

"Yup. Insane." He said to himself to answer his previous question.

"You're not insane." The other Kopa said with a chuckle.

"Then what am I doing talking to you, or me, or whatever?"

"I don't know. I remember thinking the same thing."

"Wait, what?"

The older Kopa laughed. "Come with me." He started to walk into the forest. Kopa never even thought of going in there. Then again, he never thought he would be talking to himself. He slowly followed himself into the woods, realizing he had nothing much left to do. As he followed himself, he noticed his older self's tail looked as if it was getting bitten but there was nothing there to do the biting. It began to bleed.

"Kopa! Your tail!" He shouted.

The older Kopa turned around and swung his tail to examine it. "Oh. Well would you look at that." He said calmly before dismissing the sight and continuing on as if it was nothing. And maybe it was; Kopa really didn't have a clue.

"See, here, nothing really matters. If it doesn't hurt, it….doesn't hurt." He responded trying to find the right words. As soon as he finished his statement, he swung a tree branch at the following Kopa. It hit him square in the face.

"Ouh! What'd you do that?"

"Why'd you say 'ouh?'" The older Kopa asked.

Kopa stopped for a bit and thought. "I… I don't know really." He said realizing he didn't feel anything.

"See?"

"I guess. But why? Where exactly are we? And where are we going?"

"So many questions! Was I really like this back then?"

"Apparently." Kopa answered back.

"Why? I don't know. Where are we? I still don't know. Where are we going?... You'll see…."

"How do you not know? You've obviously been here before unless you're just taking me on some romantic trot through the woods of mystery." He said, smarting off to his older self.

"Well you've been here too, have you not? And you don't know where we are."

"I guess…" He said acceptingly. "So then, where are we going?"

"Here." The older Kopa then pulled back a thick tree branch and uncovered another set of ruins. This time, they were overgrown with moss and forest life. All these ruins and structures were mystifying to the cub. So many questions, and yet his imagination seemed to have an answer for all of them. Mostly likely not true however. They walked up to the ruins and examined the place. Similar markings were all around. Pillars were collapsed on the ground and walls had large holes in them. The stone looked weathered and moist. The mix of green and gray seemed to go well.

"Over here." The older Kopa said, directing him to a familiar small monolith that reach only to about his elbow. There indented on the stone was another paw print. "I think you know what to do."

Kopa looked up at him older self. "I still don't get it." He asked, hoping for even a small hint before snapping back to reality.

"Same here kid. Same here."

Kopa gave one long last look at his older self. He couldn't help but notice, he looked good. He was strong, stood with pride, and had a thick mane. He noticed a large scar hidden amongst his underbelly. Suddenly he remembered what had happened. Zira! What was going to happen? Was he really still alive? And what about Vitani?

He became distracted by a small trickle of blood dropping down onto the older Kopa's muzzle. He looked up and saw nothing but trees and open sky. He decided not to question it since his older self seemed to not even notice.

"Well, go on." The older Kopa urged. Kopa snapped back to what he was doing, looked down at the stone and gently placed his paw in the indentation. Another perfect fit.

"Oh and one more thing. This time, it wasn't a dream. See ya!" The older Kopa said before zooming off like everything else around him.

*o*

"Please be alive! Please wake up!" An unfamiliar voice sounded off, not so much panicked but more worried than anything. Kopa stirred his head, trying his hardest to open his eyes to see who own the unfamiliar voice. "Yes, thank the kings!" He voice said obviously reacting to Kopa's sudden movement. It took the waking lion a much harder effort to open his eyes than he thought but once he managed to slowly pull up his eyes lids, he saw….well no one he knew.

"Who?" That was all he was able to muster before his voice failed him.

"That's not important. Quick, drink. Small sips." The lion said as he held a bowl shaped leaf filled with water his his mouth. Kopa drank without question.

"What hap–" Kopa began to ask when suddenly he noticed (or felt) the bandage when he began to lean up.

"You were attacked. That wrap is what's keeping you from bleeding out." The lion said calmly.

"What am I going to do?" Kopa then asked. This question he really didn't know the answer to and with the lack of a response, apparently this other lion didn't know either. "Should I go back to Pride Rock?"

The other lion thought for a moment. He knew it was Zira who did this but he didn't know if anyone else knew this. As far as he knew, Zira attacked Kopa and Simba and Nala went off in their own directions to mourn Kopa's supposed death. If Zira was not captured, it was not safe for Kopa to go back to the Pridelands. "Do you know who did this to you?" He asked figuring that would help in the situation.

Kopa thought for a bit. He felt like he knew, or knew at one point, but could not think of it. He couldn't even recall the event. Last thing he knew, he was trying to find Vitani and then woke up here. Everything in between was a vacant gap. "No." He finally responded.

Malki gave out a heavy sigh. "Alright." He said with mixed emotions. He was happy Kopa didn't have to feel the betrayal of having the mother of his closest friend attack him but on the other hand, this complicated their situation greatly. He definitely couldn't go back to the Pridelands, ignorant of his assailant. That would only ensure Zira to finish the job. "I think it's best if you not return to the Pridelands." He said lowly.

Kopa's eyes grew. "What?"

"I'm sorry, it's too risky. Your attacker is still out there and if you go back, sh….he could finish the job."

"So I can't go back to my family?" Kopa trembled at the thought of never seeing them again.

"Not for a while at least. Not only that, they think you're dead."

Kopa's spirits dropped for a bit. It was all happening too fast. He woke up to find this strange lion nursing his wounds, found out he was gravely injured by who-knows-who, and now he can't even go back to see his family….or Vitani. What about Vitani he thought.

"Can I at least say goodbye?" He asked the large dark lion.

Malki didn't quite know what he meant but knew it would help him accept what must be done. "Yes. Yes you can." Afraid of what he just promised, Malki helped Kopa up and they began to walk. "You know you can't go back to Pride Rock where your parents probably are." He said as reassurance.

"I know. It's not them I'm saying goodbye to….I wish to, but…." He trailed off as tears began to fill the cub's eyes.

Malki knew how hard this must have been on the cub so he tried to comfort him as much as possible. "It'll be okay. I promise you will see your parents again. They will not forget you." He looked down and saw no change in emotion. Kopa already felt like he was dead, never to see his friends or family again and not being able to say goodbye. "Who is it you wish to say goodbye to?" He asked, trying to get the situation off Kopa's troubled mind.

"My friend. Vitani."

Malki shuddered. What if she was with her mother? What kind of mess did he just get into. "Do you know where she might be?"

"You said my parents know….think….I'm dead?"

"Yes." He said solemnly.

"Then the rest of the pride knows. I know where she'll be." He wasn't entirely sure but he had a good guess. He thought of the one place they always met when they were little. They never went there anymore but when Zira was being tested for her continued admittance into the Pride for fear of loyalty to Scar, he and Vitani were told not to see each other. So they would sneak away and meet at this small spring luckily not too far. Something was telling him she'd be there. She had to be there and just like when they were young, she'd be sitting on a rock, waiting for the 'call;' a fake cricket chirp. Then Kopa would sneak out of the bushes so they could continue with their lives, ignorant of how they weren't supposed to meet. Ignorant of how they may never see each other again. That's why she had to be there.

"Will she be alone?" Malki asked more hopeful to get a solid answer than expecting one.

But to his surprise, Kopa responded quickly with a "Yes."

"Lead the way."

It soon became dark as they came across a small creek that seemed to get smaller and smaller closer to the source. "Could…." Kopa was a bit embarrassed to ask, "Could I be alone for a bit?" Malki gave a small but understanding smile before turning around. He realized it was best anyway for him to keep watch.

Kopa crept a bit through the bushes to see Vitani, lying on the same rock she would be when she was little. Kopa stopped for a bit. She was so beautiful. He wished he could just look at her forever but the thought of being with her instead of just seeing her made him tremble. He moved closer and noticed, unlike their younger years, she wasn't anxious to see her best friend. She was more distraught she might never see him. Even though she was a complete mess, she still was beautiful. He felt even more for her once realizing all those tears were for him. He couldn't bare it anymore; the sight was torturous. He didn't realize until now how much he cared. He didn't want her to feel this way. He had to show himself. But how would she react? Would she still be mad like before? Would she become terrified and run? He directed his eyes to the ground. He couldn't think while looking at all the pain she was in. "I'll never know unless I try." He mumbled.

Suddenly, he gave out the cheesiest cricket chirp he could. He realized how long it has been because it sounded more like a bird's crow. He tried again with much more success. Vitani's ears twitched signifying she heard the call but she just began to bawl even harder with more thoughts of Kopa rushing into her head. Kopa didn't let that get to him; of course she thought she was hearing things. He had to be persistent. With every chirp, Vitani's composure grew and grew. Until finally, "Kopa?"

This was it.

He slowly walked out of the bushes and stopped for a bit. Vitani's face lit up. Kopa smiled. He continued walking toward her as she remained frozen in disbelief. Kopa stopped in front of her, leaned in, and nuzzled her.

"Oh, Kopa." She said after being confirmed that he was not a ghost or a figment of her imagination. She closed her eyes and nuzzled back. Every rub between the two's fur coats felt like the greatest feeling in the world. One final tear fell down Vitani's cheek. Kopa leaned back and starred right into Vitani's eyes. She starred back. "I thought you were dead." She said with a smile.

They closed their eyes and rested their foreheads on each other's and their noses touching. "I thought you were mad." Kopa responded with a friendly, joking smile.

She chuckled. "Shut up." They simultaneously took a deep breath and felt the moment. They broke their trance on each other so Kopa could cuddle up next to Vitani. As he moved, she saw the bandage. "You're hurt." She said worried as Kopa rested his body flush on hers.

"Yeah. But I'll be fine."

"What happened?"

"I don't know. I just remember trying to find you, and then I woke up with this bandage on me."

"That's why everyone thinks you're dead." Vitani said softly.

"Yeah. That's why I can't go back to the Pridelands." Kopa didn't want to break it to her just yet but he knew he had to eventually. She jerked her head back and her face told of her reaction.

"No! Why?"

"Whoever did this to me is still out there. It's either, go back and let who did this finish me off or leave and come back when it's safe." He explained.

She buried her head into Kopa's neck. "I don't want you to go. I don't want you to leave me."

"I don't want to leave you ever. Believe me. But if I don't, you'd go back to how you were a few minutes ago. And that was the most painful thing I've endured was seeing you like that. I don't want you to feel that way ever again." He nuzzled her to assure his statement and followed with a gentle lick on the cheek.

She pulled away and looked down at the ground. "What's wrong?" Kopa asked.

"It's just….You were dead. Now you're here and you're telling me you have to leave?" She looked at him sincerely.

Her eyes alone made Kopa want to kiss her continuously but he restrained himself. "It's for the best. I promise I will come back."

"But…." Vitani didn't know where she was going with that. She knew everything he said was the truth and trusted that he will come back but there was something else.

"Let's just forget all of that and enjoy us being together one last time." He said and gave her another lick on the cheek. She leaned in and kissed him back. It was bliss.

Neither wanted to move; it was all too perfect. Kopa kissed Vitani's neck while his tail was wrapped around her and she reclined on his torso. "It's beautiful isn't it?" She said as she looked up at the night sky.

Kopa joined her in the sight. "It is." He nuzzled her again.

"So what are you going to do?" She finally asked, failing to keep the thought off her mind.

Kopa sat back a bit, unsure of how to answer the question. "I don't know. Become a rouge I supposed. I don't know what options are left for me."

"Promise me something will you?" Vitani looked up at him.

Kopa swore those beautiful eyes placed a spell on him every time they peered his way. "Anything."

"Promise me you'll watch out for yourself. I don't want you to die, again."

He gave out a gentle but comforting smile. "I promise." She dropped her head again. "Vitani?"

"Kopa. I don't want you to leave…."

Kopa could hear a small sniffle come from the lovely beast next to her. "Vitani, I will never leave you. As soon as this passes, I will be right here to hold you in my arms." She turned and leaned back even closer to Kopa. Her arms were under his and his were wrapped around her back. Their chests left no space between them as they held each other tight and their faces were barely far enough to keep from touching.

"Kopa, I love you." She closed her eyes.

"I love you too Vitani." Kopa closed his eyes as well. They gave each other one last kiss because almost immediately after, Malki bust through the bushes.

"Alright kid. Time to move!"

"What?" Kopa said as he and Vitani jumped back from each other with such an invasion of their privacy.

Malki noticed Vitani and stopped and starred at her strangely. Not in a threatening way but almost with pride and adoration. She returned with a weird look at him as well. "Sorry to kill the moment but it is imperative that we leave, **now!**" He said sounding rushed. Kopa decided to question it later. He had no time for stalling now that with every move he makes could mean his life.

"Vitani, I have to go. I'm sorry."

"Kopa, what is going on? Who is that?" She said worried and disrupted at the urgency of Kopa and this other lion.

"No time to explain. I was never here, do you understand? You have to swear to never tell anyone. I am still dead, okay?" He turned to her with all seriousness.

"I swear, but…" She still wanted some answers.

Kopa got close to her again, pushing his forehead back on hers. They took another deep breath. "Vitani, promise me you'll never forget me. Promise me you'll stay strong."

"Come on kid, let's go!" Malki shouted again. Right on his command, Kopa broke away from Vitani and followed Malki off toward the Outlands. But before leaving completely, he stopped and turned. He and Vitani were caught in a stare down. Their expressions told more than what words could. Vitani's face told Kopa that she didn't want him to leave but understood he had to. She was scared of what would happen between them while they went their separate ways and wished for just a few more moments with him. Kopa's face told her that he would come back for her no matter what and that the only thing that will keep him going while being all alone and on his own was the thought of being with her again. They savored that final sight of each other, mentally photographing each other to save as keepsakes and noting how beautiful each other looked in the moonlight.

Finally, Kopa spun around took off. "Oh Kopa…." Vitani calmly exhaled as he disappeared into the bushes.

"Vitani, where are you at?" She heard Zira call out.

"I promise."

"So why was it so important we had to leave?" Kopa asked as they continued to run.

"…Someone…was approaching." He said as they crossed from the Pridelands to the Outlands. "We should be safe now."

"So what are we going to do now?"

"That's up to you."

"What do you mean?" Kopa asked a bit suspicious.

"It means you're on your own kid."

"So you're just going to leave me? Even while I'm injured?" He started to get angry.

"Well apparently that bandage is treating you well if you were able to run like that." Malki responded smartly.

"But that's really it? You're going to leave me on my own in the Outlands?" He snapped back.

"You'll see me again, don't worry. Listen kid, you're strong. You're a fighter. You will make it on your own just fine. I've got someone else I need to watch over."

"Like who?" He asked curiously.

"Let's just say someone close….to both us."

At this point, Kopa just figured to accept everything. Why would it continue to be so easy when he has gotten so lucky so far? "Before you go, I've got to get a name."

Malki thought for a bit. He considered telling him his real name. It wouldn't hurt right? He can't go and tell anyone if he did, but no. He didn't want to risk losing Kopa's trust. "Orion." He quickly said before bolting off again.

Kopa turned to the barren wasteland that was now his home. He said to himself, "This is where everything starts over." as he began to trek into the unknown.

* * *

A bit (ha, a bit) of fluff in there but it was completely necessary (and intended for this chapter) as you can understand (he's leaving her for God knows how long). But admit it, we all like _some_ fluff, especially when it comes to Disney.

Will definately not be the last bit of fluff in there but the story will turn more dark and abstract as how the next part is intended to be.

Hope you liked it, and as always **REVIEW!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note:**

Chapter 9. A bit short but it's another 'transition' chapter. This kind of marks the end of the first 'part' of the story (the part of Kopa in the Pridelands before he 'died'). The next part will consist of Kopa's sanity being tested as he ventures into the isolation of the Outlands, and Zira's and Simba's family behind the scenes of TLK2.

Also, please read the "Attention Notice" on my profile. It regards something I have been kind of curious about for a while sooo yeah.

Hope you like it! And please REVIEW!

* * *

Chapter 9: Aftermath

"Sire, we have no idea where the body has gone."

"Zazu, keep it down." Simba commanded as he continued to make circles outside the main cave entrance. He stopped for a moment and dropped his head. "Kopa, where have you gone?" He whispered as a tear fell down his face.

"Everything alright?" The majordomo fluttered to Simba's side and pat his leg with his wing.

"Nala can't find out. She's already unstable as it is, I'm afraid if anything else goes wrong, she might lose it." The king said sadly.

"Simba?" He heard Nala call from the cave.

"And Kiara's not helping either. Continue to search the area. I don't want a memorial to be the best I can do for my son." He said before taking off into the cave.

"Yes sir." Zazu responded sorrowfully.

"Nala?"

"I'm back here." She said softly.

Simba moved toward the back of the cave where there wasn't a whole lot of light. "Why are you all the way back here?" She didn't respond. He came up and nuzzled her. "It'll be okay."

"I know." She said unconfidently.

"Do you?" There was a long pause. Finally when Simba knew she wouldn't answer back, he nuzzled her again. "It will be fine. Kiara's on her way, you can't have her live in all this grief. We can't let her live in all this grief. Maybe… maybe this is the plan. The Circle of Life."

"Oh cut it out Simba!" Nala stood up quickly, almost losing her balance because of her pregnancy. She looked at him with anger, not toward him, but with anger. "The Circle of Life? There is no _Circle of Life_! It's just an excuse for all the bad things that happen in our lives."

"Nala!" Simba yelled. She ignored him.

"Think about it; Kopa, our mothers, Scar's reign, Mufasa."

"NALA!" Simba roared. She finally dropped silent. A small hint of fear was on her face, knowing she had crossed the line. "Nala." He said calmly this time. "No, we don't have control over those things. Yes I wish things were different. But it's not how all life's problems affect us. It's how we overcome those problems. Think of our future. Think of the Pridelands, of us. Think of your daughter."

Nala still stood there, frozen. She felt a small kick from their unborn daughter and with that, felt the impact of Simba's words. She fell to the ground and began to cry. "Simba….I'm sorry."

Simba laid down next to her. "It's alright. We can do this. We just have to be strong," He looked at her but she dared not look at him. He gently groped her muzzle and moved her face to be right in front of his, making it impossible for her to not look at him. His warm smile comforted her. "together." She smiled back and rested her head on his shoulder.

*o*

"Are we ever going to stop or is walking in a barren wasteland our new family activity?"

"Quit your whining Nuka. It's not like it's making it any easier." Vitani said, having enough of her brother's constant complaints.

"You've still yet to tell us where we're going mother." Zira just ignored her son's comment and continued walking with Kovu hanging from her jaw. Not only was she getting annoyed too, but she honestly didn't know where they were heading.

"We're bound to be getting close soon." Vitani said to herself softly, more for personal assurance. She turned her head and saw what looked like miniature mountains, protruding out of the sandy, rocky Outlands. Beside the large mounds was a small dirty pond. "Water!"

Instantly, they all turned their heads toward where Vitani was directing them. The light glistened off the murky water, all the more making strobes of temptation. Zira slowly started walking toward the location. Vitani and Nuka stopped for a bit, looked at each other, then like as if a gun sounded off, they bolted off toward the water.

They didn't care how much more tired they were making themselves by running at a dead sprint in the hot sun, all they cared was how nice it will feel to drink some water again. Upon reaching the small pond, they both jumped in without hesitation.

"Ah! It feels soo good." Vitani exclaimed.

"A bit warm." Nuka said slightly disappointed.

"Can you really complain?"

"Hey, just saying."

Once Zira reached the pond, she set Kovu down and leisurely bent down and started slurping up the water. Vitani started to splash Nuka.

"Hey, HEY! Stop!" He called out. Vitani just continued to splash him, laughing all the while.

"I'll teach you, you little twerp." Nuka angrily said as he picked up a nearby piece of driftwood. He began to move toward his chaotic sister when he felt something crawl on his hand. Soon that something became many things as he looked down and saw hundreds of tiny ant-like critters crawl out from the log he was holding. "AH!" He frantically threw the piece of wood away and started splashing around to get the bugs off him. "TERMITES!" He quickly made his way over toward Zira and climbed out the water, panting frantically. Zira looked up at him and rolled her eyes. She then turned her head toward the tall mounds and saw some of them were dead trees, hollowed out.

"Children, I think we have a new home." She said as a small grin grew on her face.

Vitani slowly made her way their direction, climbed out of the pool and said in disappointment, "Really?"

"We can live here. Rebuild our shattered lives." She then began to mumble. "And plot our revenge."

"Why here? Why this crap-shack? Not only that, it's infested with termites." Nuka said as he bent down, head to the ground and watched a line of termites follow each other in unison to a large mound a few feet away.

"Well we could keep walking for some more days." Zira proclaimed.

There was a small pause from her son. "This will be fine." He mumbled, accepting the new location.

"All this displacement has made your mother tired. Watch over Kovu, will you?" She said as she disappeared into a hollowed trunk.

"We could feed him to the termites." Nuka suggested with a smile and a raise eyebrow.

"Very funny." Vitani said as she picked up the cub and moved him away from an ant hill.

She softly set him down, then plopped herself much less gentle in front of the little cub. "'itani!" He proudly exclaimed while throwing his arms in the air.

"Yes, Kovu. It's me." She said a bit depressed.

Night quickly came and the harsh Outland winds did its toll on their new home but they stood standing. They explored the area and found a good set of caves burrowed in the base of some rocky hills and cliff sides and determined that they were pretty lucky they found the place.

"Mother?" Vitani quietly approached Zira as she was cuddling Kovu.

"Sshhh, quiet my dear. Our prince is sleeping."

'Our prince?' Vitani thought. "Mother, can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"What happened back in the Pridelands?"

"Simba happened." She said spitefully.

"No, I mean. What _exactly_ happened?" Vitani persisted.

Zira sat and thought for a bit. "Well it was all an ordinary day. I was resting by my tree when Simba came out of nowhere, yelling at me to leave." She said sounding appalled but it didn't convince Vitani. "He was very angry, saying I killed his son." She continued.

"Well… What if he's not dead?" She felt like she had to ask.

"That's impossible, I was– I mean, how could he not be?" She said, quickly correcting herself.

"I don't know…"

Zira noticed her daughter's sadness and pulled her close to her. "Come here. I know you liked him and all and I know you miss him, but you know I lost someone close to me as well."

"You did?"

"Yes….a few actually." She responded as she looked down. She soon snapped back to reality and looked back at her daughter. "But you see, I've overcome the losses, stayed strong, and have the greatest children in the world." She said with a smile.

Vitani smiled back. "Thanks mom." She stopped and thought for a moment. "I know you lost Scar but….who else did you lose?"

"Oh, it was a long time ago. As you know, I am not originally from the Pridelands. I came from somewhere where there was no ruler. In fact, I don't even recall having a name for our land. It was just a communal area where my brother, Poteza, and I and a few other lions and their families lived. I lost my parents when I was really young so Poteza was left to watch over me. It was me, my brother Poteza, and his friend…" She stopped for a minute, debating whether she should continue "…Malki." She stopped again, hoping she would not get a reaction out of Vitani. She knew she never told her of Malki and only hoped she didn't hear of him from Nuka or someone else. And judging by Vitani's lack of interest with the name, she was correct.

She continued. "We three were inseparable. Well, one day we were playing in the river when a rogue approached us. He must have been hungry because none of us antagonized him, or even knew he was there. But he suddenly attacked and he…." She stopped to try and dissolve the choke in her throat. "….he got Poteza. I was stunned by the sudden attack but apparently Malki wasn't. He jumped the rogue, trying to fend him off. 'Run Zira!' He yelled at me but I just stood there in shock. Malki wasn't much of a fight for the rogue and soon he was thrown and landed on a rock. It just left me and the rogue. He slowly approached me as I quivered in the shallow river and simply said 'You're lucky you're a cub or you'd end up like your two friends over there.' before walking off to take Poteza away. Luckily, the other lions came around and killed the rogue before he could leave with the body." Zira couldn't continue. She looked up toward the cave ceiling to avoid having her tears leave her eyes. "Vitani honey, I need sometime alone."

Vitani slowly got up to leave. She leaned toward her mother and hugged her. "I'm sorry mother." Then left the cave.

Zira sat there reminiscing. "It'll be okay Zira." She remembered Malki saying to her afterwards as he comforted her. "I'll watch over you now." She remembered looking at her brother's dead body. She remembered the devilish face of the rogue when he spoke to her. She remembered looking down in the river and starring into her own scared eyes. "You're lucky you're a cub…." Suddenly, her face turned to Kopa's in her memory. She began to sob heavily. "What have I done! Scar….you were right."

"Nuka?" Vitani called out into one of the hollowed out trunks. "Nuka!"

"You know it helps to sleep when no one is yelling at you." Nuka answered back.

"Sorry. Can I stay with you tonight?"

"Sure." He said not all too enthused. "Something bugging you?"

"No, I just miss Kopa. That's all." She said as she curled up into a ball next to a wall to try and the little warmth she had.

Nuka curled up close to her as well, using her warmth to warm him and his to warm her. "I'm sorry 'tani. It'll be alright. Quite honestly, I miss the Pridelands. Warm living, abundant food and water….Grawr! NO TERMITES!" He yelped as he frantically fidgeted around trying to scratch himself.

Vitani chuckled a bit. "Big baby." Nuka felt good that he put a smile on his little sister's face, despite how much the termites were driving him mad. He soon calmed and they were able to finally get to sleep.

The next morning, Vitani got up much earlier than Nuka. She rolled her eyes as she saw him cuddle with a small log as if some kind of teddy bear. She walked away smiling, thinking of all the termites that probably crawled out of that log and onto her dopey older brother. She moved to the top a hill and watched the sunrise, thinking of the one other lion she used to do that with. Suddenly, she heard a voice she didn't recognize.

"Hey Vitani. You alone?"

She turned to see Malki. "You're the lion that was with Kopa that one night."

"Glad you recognized me. Come with me, I want to talk." He began moving down away from the Termite Mounds. Vitani followed.

"How's Kopa, is he doing alright?"

"I haven't seen him since the same night but I'm sure he's fine." Vitani became a bit worried but Malki's lack of concern for the matter convinced her that if he was so confident he was fine, she should be too. "So is this where you are staying?"

"I guess. My mother was framed with Kopa's death so we've been banished out here. We came across these mounds yesterday."

"You got lucky finding this place," he said with a chuckle. "I wish I was this lucky a few years back."

"Excuse me, but who are you?" Vitani stopped.

Malki took a few steps forward before turning toward her, trying to remember the fake name he gave Kopa. "Orion. Just some rogue that was lucky to find Kopa in time to help him with his wound." He answered with a cheeky grin.

"You smell familiar." She said suspiciously.

"I'm sure a lot of people do but that's not the point. I want to help you."

"I thought you were helping Kopa?" She asked a bit confused.

"I'd like to help you too."

Vitani thought for a bit before firing back with an emotion she didn't know she was feeling at the moment. "I don't need your help. I'm fine on my own. Besides, my mother and older brother are here with me."

"I know."

"You do? But how? Never mind, I don't want to know how you've been creeping on me or my family. Leave us alone. We'll be fine." She said before turning back toward the Termite Mounds.

When she got back, she saw Zira talking with another lioness. "Mother? Who is that?"

"Another straggler in life's journey. I've offered to have her live with us for exchange for her loyalty." Zira said menacingly. "And she even has two daughters, Spotty and Dotty." She pointed over toward Nuka who was fraternizing (or attempting to) with the pair of twins. She turned back to Vitani, pulled her close, and whispered in her ear, "Our pride is growing."

*o*

"Are you ready sire?" Zazu questioned Simba before the ceremony.

"Let's hope." He said. Nala slowly walked up and he gave her a quick nuzzle. Nala left for a moment and came back with a tiny, light tan cub hanging in her mouth. The cub looked very curious. They moved out to the protrusion of Pride Rock where Rafiki stood, moving his arms with the wind that seemed to be circling him. Once he noticed Simba and Nala, he turned around, hugged them, and then took the cub from Nala. Zazu landed nearby and bowed, laying his wings flat on the ground.

Rafiki walked to the edge and raised the cub over his head so that all the animals that came could see the new heir to the throne. The cub, after looking around the crowd for a bit, kicked her feet in laughter at what, only she knew.

Another wind, carrying a few leaves and other particles, came and circled Simba. He took a deep breath and knew his father and son were watching over them right now. The wind then circled Nala and she did the same thing. It soon moved to young Kiara, still being hoisted above the land by Rafiki, where after examining the phenomenon, playfully swatted at some of the leaves. The animals soon went jubilant. Rafiki brought Kiara down, cradling her, and some paste on her forehead. She tried to look up at it but soon found that to be impossible. Nala came up and nuzzled her new daughter. Kiara gave out a childish giggle and nuzzled back.

Simba came and did the same. "See Nal', it will all be alright."

She came over and nuzzled him. "It will be alright." The two directed their attention back to Kiara.

Off to the side, Timon and Pumba sat observing. "Ah Pumba, look at the little guy….It'll be just like old times. You, me, and the little guy." Timon said.

Rafiki let out a quick chuckle. "It's a girl."

"Girl." Timon said quickly correcting himself before realizing what he said. Suddenly Timon and Pumba turned to each other with crazed looks and shouted in each other's face, "GIRL!" then proceeded to act like they fainted.

"You see why I don't like to tell you these things?" Simba said jokingly before him, Nala, Rafiki and the young Kiara left back to the cave.

"Well at least now we know." Pumba said as they still laid back flat on the ground.

* * *

Thinking of doing a one-shot of Zira's childhood based on her flashback in this chapter. What do you think?


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note:**

A quick update, here's Chapter 10.

I recently found that apparently there is a canon character named 'Malka' and that is strikingly similar to 'Malki'... Let me get just say, there is no correlation between 'Malka' and 'Malki.' I repeat, Malki is not based on Malka or anything like that. Malki is a character I made that just had a really similar name to Malka with an unusual amount of coincidence.

Quite honestly, I really liked this chapter. It was more evident at one point as to why this is a 'T' rated story, and there will definately be more reasons further on. Like I said, this is the part of the story of Kopa's survival and isolation in the Outlands so it's not going to be as innocent as the first part of the story.

Hope you like it as much as I do. REVIEW and ENJOY!

* * *

Chapter 10: The Outlands

"Hot." Kopa said to himself with his tongue dangling loosely from his mouth. "Tired." He said to himself again as he kept walking, dragging his feet through the barren wastelands. "Nothing." He finally said before plopping down hard onto the rough ground beneath him, not even bothering to use his limbs to soften his fall. He lay there belly down, arms back, with his face forward and chin dug into the ground. "What am I doing?" He said as he now positioned his face to be down into the ground. He gave out a large huff that blew away some of the sand that was invading his mouth and nostrils. After a while he rolled onto his back and looked toward the sky. The sun was bright and he held up his arm to block it. "What am I doing?" He said again, dropping his arm and passing out.

It wasn't long before some buzzards started circling his motionless body. One flew down and plucked at his body which jolted Kopa awake with a jump. "What the?" He looked up and saw the birds scatter at the sight of their supposed 'dead' prey movement and began to fly off. "Damn birds." He said as he got up and rubbed his head. "Wait a second…." He said as he stared at the fleeing birds. "If there are actual live beings out here, that must mean….WATER!" He yelled as he jumped up and started running after the birds, following them to what he hoped was some form of hydration.

Sooner enough, Kopa followed the buzzards to a small oasis, if you would even call it that, in the outskirts of the Outlands. The birds rested on a dead tree next to the small pond. Kopa cautiously approached the pond and looked down at the water. It wasn't the cleanest water in the world but at this point, he didn't care. Right when he was about to take a drink, he noticed something: his reflection. He took a long look at it, remembering what his father once told him. "This is who you are." He heard his father say in the back of his mind. He began to study his facial details. All the dirt and grime that clung to his face since he left the Pridelands soon disappeared and he became clean. His expression looked tired however, like he's been through a lot. But also strong as if he knew what has happened was nothing compared to what will happen and strong as if he was ready for it. He let out a soft smile before bending down and taking a nice long drink. He fell back and rested under the dry tree after realizing he probably drank too much too fast and figured he'd better sit for a bit for his stomach to settle.

In that time, there wasn't much for him to do but think. 'What next?' was the main question he kept asking himself. 'What happens after this storm blows over? Will I just go back to the Pridelands like nothing happened? Would Vitani be there waiting for me? Would my sister recognize me as a brother or just some riff-raff that came into her life at a young age? Would I be rejected from my old pride as a rogue if no one recognizes me?' These thoughts couldn't escape his mind. He ended up making different scenarios for how things would be.

'What about now?' he then began to ask. 'What happens in between now and when I return? Would I become a savage rogue that will do anything for a scrap of meat? Would I become a rough lion incapable of the stability of a normal life? Would I become vicious and scarred from my new life all alone?' More scenarios entered his mind.

Suddenly his howling stomach drew his attention away from his thoughts and fears and onto how he was going to manage to get some food. The thought of a juicy slice of zebra or antelope made his mouth water like a fresh spring. "Must eat something." He said as he rolled over and saw a large beetle move across his sight and starting up the tree. He quickly snatched it and held in between two fingers a bit disgusted. He second guessed himself before concluding his decision. "Well if dad likes them so much, they can't be that bad." He closed his eyes bracing for the feast. He bit down on it and it crunched loud and hard. Every chew was a mix between hard shell and gooey insides. He almost gagged. Once he finally deemed it to be a consistency where he felt comfortable swallowing it, he slowly did so. He gave a twinge as he felt it move down his throat and still with his eyes closed, he licked his lips to give a final judgment. "Not bad. Not too big on the texture, but not bad." He smiled, feeling like he made a connection with his father who remained miles away.

The day continued to move on and through his entire journey through the Outlands, he still had no place to sleep at night. Kopa had hoped he wouldn't have to sleep out in the desert cold again, but figured that was inevitable. Soon the sun began to set and placed a dark red glow over the Outlands. Determined to find someplace to sleep comfortably, Kopa continued to trek on.

Just when he was about to give in and continue his search another day, he came across a small sinkhole. He slowly moved closer to try and get a good view of its interior, for fear of it collapsing underneath his feet. It was too late in the day for him to really see inside the sinkhole but he was desperate to find someplace to rest. He quickly examined the risks and took his chances of going in. He shimmied down the hole, lucky that it was more of a shaft than just a hole in the ground and finally placed his feet down on solid ground. He tried to look around but the little bit of light offered from the opening didn't help him out much. It was a bit cooler down there but that was just natural. He knew once night came, the constant temperature of the cave would feel warm compared to the cold outside, and in the day, it would feel cool. He decided it best to just lay down where he was, directly underneath the opening and sleep. He never fell asleep faster in his life.

Once he woke up, the light from the morning sun shone much brighter through the opening. He looked around at the ginormous cathedral room that the sinkhole opened up to. It turned into a cavern just a few feet underground. He looked around and quickly could tell this would be a great place for him to reside. Taking in one last view of the large cave, he decided to head around to the edge of the cathedral room and explore the rest of the cave; see if there were any passage ways that led to anywhere.

He came across a small crevice in a nearby wall and went to examine it. He slowly crawled through the unknown passage and squeezed through tough corners to find where the tunnel led. Once he came out, he found himself on the other side of the cathedral room. "They're all interconnected." He concluded. Finally, he had found the perfect residency for his exile. The constant temperature would keep him warm at night and cool in the day, the numerous tunnels would help him evade any intruders that may come by, and the underground cave in general would protect him from all the unknown that went on outside. He came across another passageway and after exploring it, it entered into a large room with a spring. His new home also had a reliable source of water. Kopa smiled at his luck. "This is perfect." He said to himself.

Off in the distance, he heard a few clanks. He swiftly turned around but no one was there. The echoes from the cave completely threw off his orientation of the origin of the sound. "Anyone there?" He called out. Nothing. He slowly moved away from the spring and began tunneling back to the cathedral room. Once he got to the large room, he heard a few cackles. "Anyone in here?" He sounded off again. More noises. "Who are you? Come out!" He yelled, feeling the fear in him slowly drift away into readiness and instinct.

"The question is, who are you? And why are you in my home?"

'Shit, it's already claimed. Go figure.' Kopa thought. Suddenly, he felt a swift kick to the side as he flew to the ground.

"Doesn't matter. You're mine now." The voice called out. Kopa jumped up and stood ready for the next attack. But once again, he got blindsided.

He fell to the ground again. The hard rock floor didn't soften his fall at all. "It would help if I could see the damn thing." He said to himself as he slowly got up again. The creature must have heard because it let out a hefty laugh. "Alright, come on!" He yelled getting angry. He figured he'd get attacked from the side again, so he got ready. The instant he felt the blow, he turned and grabbed whatever it was that was assaulting him, and brought it down as well. He began to wrestle with it, trying to pin it but it was a squeamish creature and would not let him grab hold. Kopa tried to do the same but wasn't as effective. The creature maneuvered its feet under Kopa's chest and kicked him off. He flew off and landed hard with his back on the ground again. Again, he slowly got up. It was a hit and run strategy, which told Kopa one thing: the creature was smaller than he was.

"Alright you little rodent. I see how it is." He called out, trying to antagonize it which somewhat worked because he ended up getting kicked in the back and landed face down on the ground. He instinctively rolled to his side to avoid a pounce from above. It proved effective because as soon as he rolled, he felt the creature land next to him. He quickly pushed off from whatever little footing he had at the moment and dove on the creature. They rolled a bit down a large rock with Kopa using the creature to break his fall. He heard some kind of crack and a loud shriek of pain before the animal underneath him quickly moved out from underneath him and again was gone.

Kopa knew what he needed to do, he needed to get a good steady hold on the thing because judging by what he's been through so far, the little thing wouldn't survive a one-on-one fight with the lion. He got up again, waiting for the next attack but he knew he couldn't do the same old thing forever. It was only a matter of time before all this hit and miss was going to end with a complete loss.

There must have been a small puddle nearby because as he got up, he heard the creature splash in it. He dove to the right and dodged the animal's next attack. That's when he realized what he needed to do. He couldn't see, but he could still hear. He stood still and closed his eyes (as if having them open was much different). He heard some paw steps heading toward him from his left. He turned and dove forward, tackling the animal in mid-pounce. His surprise was to his advantage because he was able to pin the animal pretty quickly. He slashed down a claw and he felt him strike the creature across the face. It let out a small squeal and scurried away. Kopa sat and listened again. The paw steps were much slower this time, he did some damage on that last attack. He did the same thing and pushed the animal down. He ended up holding down the animal's arms with his and found no way to attack for if he lifted up an arm, one of the creature's arms would be free and he would get away again. So Kopa decided to go for the kill. He thrust his head down and bit into the animal's neck. He could feel his fangs dig into his assailant's windpipe. He shook around a little bit to do more damage and soon, there was no more movement from the creature.

Kopa eased his grip to see if the animal was faking, making sure it wouldn't try and fight back but it was done. He moved off the creature and sat for a moment, basking in his accomplishment. His glory was short lived however after his stomach seemed to have won a different battle. He was still hungry. He looked down at the small rodent he just managed to kill but still was unable to identify it. At this point though, it didn't matter. It was either kill and eat, or get killed and be eaten here in the Outlands and he didn't want to take any chances. He plunged his head down and ripped through the fur and skin of the creature; finally, some meat and a full meal.

After the meal, he quickly searched his new home for any other animal before settling down for the day. He went back to the spring and took some drinks of water. He pulled up his head, water dripping from his muzzle and realized he was going to be fine. He was confident in his abilities and he knew he was capable of survival. He had a perfect little hideout from enemies and from the environment. Why would he not survive? How could he not stay alive? He smiled in his own defined capabilities but the feeling left almost as quick as it arose. He realized he was missing one thing: company.

Malki, or Orion, had left him to do his own thing and Kopa was sure he didn't know where to find this hideout of his. Not only that, how was he supposed to know if everything back in the Pridelands had been settled? He had no contact with anyone on the inside, and no way to see if it was safe for him to return. Suddenly, the same question that had plagued him since day one in the Outlands came back. What now?

Nor the next few hours, Kopa just laid there in the center of the cathedral room, staring up at the small little hole he used to get in and out of the place and thinking how he was going to spend his time. "Bored….Bored….BORED!" He said to himself mindlessly as he popped his head off the ground and sat up for the first time is what seemed like forever. He got up and circled the spot a few times before concluding on something to do.

"That's it. I can't stand this." He said as he made his way on top of a rock and shimmied up the small entrance. He poked his head up and didn't realize how bright the light was on the outside. He looked around and saw nothing but barrenness for miles. The sight didn't really turn his spirits around but what really could you do if that was the sight you were to see for the next good portion of your life. He managed to bring his whole body out of the cave entrance, which proved to be harder than he thought, but he had a good long time to practice that. He started to run around, stretching his legs while feeling the sun's heat all the same. He ran to the top of a nearby dune and looked down to see if there were any landmarks around so he could recognize his new home. Other than a notable hole in the ground, there was nothing. He expanded his line of sight and saw some oddly shaped mountains off in the distance. "That'll do." He said, taking in the picture one last time before turning around and running off.

To Kopa, running around the wasteland that was the Outlands seemed to be the only entertainment that was available. He ran from his cave to the watering hole he found earlier and all the way past a rock formation that he used as shelter while still wandering a few days before. He was no navigator but was getting better at maneuvering around the Outlands with little orientation. After turning and running the opposite direction, past his cave, he soon found that the Outlands don't last forever…. To a point. He came across a large pasture-like oasis. The grass was still dry and only held a small hint of green but it was a living prairie nonetheless. He crouched down and slowly crept through the grassland, trying not to be seen by any kind of prey that might inhabit the area. He didn't want to scare off any food that he might need in the future. He was here to explore, not hunt.

After successfully avoiding a few disappointingly small grazers, he reached the other side of the small field where it steadily turned back into the barren Outlands. Figuring he'd seen most of what the random field had to offer, he decided to turn back to head to the cave. When he turned around, he found his face to be only a few inches from the face of a jackal that was apparently staring at him.

"Gah!" Kopa yelped as he jumped back.

Almost simultaneously, the jackal smiled and responded back coolly. "Well hello."

"What the hell?"

"Hmph, manners. The name's Anput." She said casually.

Kopa sat there with his arms back, still uneasy from the surprise. "Kopa." He simply said.

"So what is a handsome lion like yourself doing all the way out here?" She said again in her calm tone of voice.

"What?" He mumbled to himself to where the jackal couldn't hear him.

"Not much of a talker are you."

Kopa became annoyed. "I'm sorry, why are you talking to me?" He finally choked up to say.

"Oo, ouch. Why so hostile? Did you run away; trying to act all tough?" She said in almost a mocking tone.

"Not at all. I'm an exile." He answered back, now trying to be tough like how she stated.

"Oh, a rogue." She said seductively as a smile grew back on her face.

"Yeah? What's that's supposed to mean?" Kopa asked a bit unsure of the whole situation.

"Nothing. I mean, it makes much more sense now; a lion, all alone in the Outlands. You don't really see that much out here. Especially here in this field. Guess you're pretty lucky to find this place. And judging by your build," She scanned the lion in front of her. "you haven't been on your own for very long. That stomach looks like it's been healthfully fed your entire life." Anput continued to scan Kopa until she came across the bandages around his midsection. All the dirt and dust from wandering out in the Outlands for days have made the wraps camouflaged on the lion's fur. "And you're hurt."

"It's nothing. Well….I'm better now." He said, trying to stray the conversation between them so he could continue on his way.

She gave out a small chuckle. "Oh come on. Maybe it needs some tending to." She said jokingly.

"It's been tended to enough." He said sternly.

Anput gave another chuckle. "I'm only kidding. Mind if I ask what you're banished for?"

"I'm not banished." He answered back still pretty stiff, not wanting to be there right now.

"What happened to being an exile?" She asked as she began to circle Kopa.

"I was attacked," He began to mumble under his breath, "as you so observantly pointed out." He returned his voice to normal. "I don't know who did it, but if I stuck around I was bound to be finished off."

"Ah, so cutie's also smart." The jackal said still with her normal casual tone. Kopa rolled his eyes. "I assume then you plan to go back sometime?"

"That's right. Hopefully sooner than later." He said abandoning his efforts to drop the conversation and deciding to just go with it.

"Well until then, what's your plan?" She stopped and sat back in front of Kopa with another smile. Her eyes sent a seductive signal that said she was interested. Her perked up ears showed she was ready for his response.

"Don't really have one. Just am kind of winging it." He said smiling with a small chuckle in his throat as he completely missed her signal.

"Well since you're here, and I'm here. Let's team up. It'll be–" She was cut off.

"No, no. I'll be fine on my own. I've made it so far."

"I don't think you understand." She said more seriously. "Being out here alone does its toll on you. You'll need some kind of company to keep you from going mad."

"What about you? I don't see anyone with you right now?" Kopa asked curiously.

"I've had my share of acquaintances. If you want to go off on your own and be some big tough guy, go ahead. But let me just say you'll last ten times as long if you weren't alone." Anput said, giving him one last option.

"Fine." He said reluctantly.

"Alright." She leaned in and gave him a small peck on the cheek. "It's a deal." She said seductively into his ear. Kopa didn't react; he was more taken back to really accept what just happened. Not only that, Malki's sudden appearance threw off the lion even more.

"What is this?" He asked as he looked in from a small distance.

"Gah! What are you doing here?" Kopa barked as he jumped back.

Malki squinted his eyes at Kopa's guilty sounding comment. "Well aren't you the little player." He said spitefully.

"No, it was–" But he didn't finish his statement as he landed flat on the ground with Malki on top of him.

"I swear, if you ever hurt Vitani, I will personally see your demise." He growled.

"Calm down Orion! It didn't mean anything! She came onto me!" He said frantically.

"Excuse me, what is going on?" Anput said as she was a bit curious at the scene that erupted in front of her. Malki turned his head and saw the unusually calm jackal staring them down. He looked back down at Kopa; the pinned lion's facial expression told no lie, he was telling the truth. He slowly got off him. "Wait, are you his father?" She asked curiously once Malki and Kopa both got up on their feet.

They glanced at each other and simultaneously raised an eyebrow. They quickly turned back to Anput. "God no!" They barked at the same time. Then turned back to each other with the same insulted look; one that said 'what did you say?'

"Uh huh. If you say so. Well, I'm going to leave you two to have your little family reunion. I'll see you around Kopa." She said, giving a wink to Kopa before turning and strutting away.

"So what was that all about?" Malki said now him too a little curious.

"I have no idea." Kopa responded, still shaken up from Malki's takedown.

They began to walk along the border to the other side of the field, still avoiding any prey that might be alarmed by the presence of two lions. "I guess you've found a place to get food."

"Yeah. Haven't hunted here yet though." Kopa responded.

"I could tell." Malki said smartly as a small gazelle galloped in the distance. "So you live here?"

"No. I found a cozy little cave a ways away."

"Ah."

"Orion, what are you doing here?"

"Well I didn't mean to find you out here. Came across this place and figured it was a good change of scenery." Kopa looked up at Malki and gave him a suspicious look. "No joke." He said, trying to convince him that he was serious.

"Well it's good to see you weren't just checking up on me after abandoning me on my own in this decrepit wasteland for the past few days." He said, still a bit dour that he was expected to do all this without any help.

"Well must I ask how you've been or can you answer that yourself." Malki said with full confidence. Kopa thought about the past few days for a moment. Of course he was just wandering aimlessly at first, but he recently found a home, killed some food, found a water source, came across a grazing field that still seemed to perfect to be real out in the middle of the Outlands, and apparently made friends with a way too friendly companion. Malki noticed Kopa's thoughts and laughed. "Told you." He then glanced down at the younger lion's bandage and noticed a small tear in it. It must have happened in his little tackle. "How's your injury?"

"Good. Haven't even noticed it in a few days now." He answered back as if it was nothing.

"Do you think it's good to take off?"

"I don't know, haven't really thought of it. What do you think?" He asked.

"Well if it's still bad, I'm sure I could fasten up another one." So they stopped and cut the bandage. The cut was much smaller now and completely scarred over. The fur on his stomach was still bloodstained but that would come off in time. Malki kind of poked at it for a bit to see if Kopa would give any reaction but he didn't. "It looks pretty good. It shouldn't be long before it's completely healed over." A twig snapped behind them and Malki turned to see what it was. After seeing it was nothing more than a chipmunk, he continued on. "Just don't go picking at it. We don't want it to open up again."

As he turned, he saw Kopa doing just that. "Sorry." He said while plastering a large grin on his face. Malki smiled and shook his head.

He looked up and saw the setting sun. "I better get going. I'm sure you should do the same. You know how cold this place gets at night."

Kopa turned and stared at the steadily setting sun and figured he was right. "Yeah. Guess it is about to get late." Kopa got up and moved around a bit to make sure he was comfortable without the bandage. "Well. Until next time Orion." He turned to Malki and said.

"Yup kid, until next time." They gave each other an accepting head nod before departing separate ways.

Kopa kept track of where the little pasture was, where food and one strange jackal would be waiting for him. He saw the mountains off in the distance and was soon directed to his underground den. He shimmied down the hole and greeted his new home in gleeful silence. He looked down at his wound and took in the seriousness of it. He had never seen it before so he didn't realize how bad of an injury it was. 'And Orion said it has gotten smaller?' Kopa thought in astonishment on the size of it as it is now. After a single yawn, his mind was directed to only one thing so he cuddled up in a ball and fell right asleep.

* * *

Haha, I really like Anput's character. She just kind of appeared in my thought process so I threw her in there. More of her to come as well.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note:**

Ok, a bit short and it kind of hit a brick wall but quite honestly I didn't know what else to put in here. Still think it's a good chapter though. I really like the character 'Anput.' I only wish what I have planned for her would include her more in the story but, like I said, that's not what I have planned for her (and no, that does not mean she's going to be killed off).

Nonetheless, here's Chapter 11. enjoy and review!

* * *

Chapter 11: Kings and Queens

"Seriously, how long do you sleep?"

Kopa kicked and stirred and rolled over. "I swear Anput, for the few days I've known you, you've been more annoying than what I'd imagine a little sister to be." He said with full irony.

"In that case…." She then proceeded to push and shove Kopa around while he still lay on the rocky cave floor. "_Come on big brother, let's go. Mom said we have to go._" She said sarcastically while trying to hold back a grin.

"Very funny." He responded annoyed, still with his eyes clamped shut and trying to get the slightest bit of more rest. Soon enough, he slowly got up on all fours. He leaned, forward to stretched out his hind legs, then back to stretch his front ones all the while giving out one big yawn.

"That was graceful." Anput said still sarcastic.

"Come on, let's get some food."

"I was about to think you'd never say that." She said before jumping up out of the cave much fast than Kopa's crawl.

It must have been late in the day, because the deserted Outlands were already scorched and the sun hung high in the sky. Kopa and Anput quickly made it to the small field. Their stomachs ached from the past few days of failure. It was really the first time Kopa had hunted on his own and he could not quite seem to get it right. Anput wasn't much help on taking down larger animals due to her size so they had had nothing to eat but a few field mice that Anput was able to capture. They both understood though that their luck wouldn't always be good so they accepted what they had. Not only that but it was almost a guarantee to be constantly hungry out in the Outlands. Something Kopa was just learning and getting used to.

The two approached the field and immediately came across a couple of grazing gazelles. "Alright big guy, this is your chance. Remember, stay low until you are ready to pounce, always be aware of your surroundings, and for god sake, kill the damn thing this time, will ya? We're all hungry here aren't we?"

"You know at first I was thinking you were just trying to be inspiring."

"You know me all too well. Now go get 'em." She quickly gave him a little playful spank to conclude their little prep talk.

Kopa glared back at her before continuing on. "Does she ever stop?" He mumbled to himself, annoyed. He slowly crept through the dry grass, trying not to make much noise. It would have been easier if there was at least a little life in the stalks around him. He was almost at a crawl and glanced down at his feet every few seconds to make sure he wasn't going to kick a rock or overturn some piece of wood that would make a clatter. He slowly breathed in, and out, in and out. He felt a gentle breeze on his fur; it soothed from the hot sun. He took small inhales and smelt the world around him. He was ready. He jumped out and landed right behind the gazelle. It took off and he went after it. He was steadily gaining on it and when he was right up on it, it jumped. Kopa was too close to react and tripped over the rock that the gazelle leapt over and rolled for a bit before landing on his back. He withdrew a heavy sigh of disappointment and stared up at the sky, hopelessly.

Suddenly Anput came into his vision and stared down at him as he continued to look past her toward the sky. "Really Mr. Lion? That was the best you could do?" She said with a smile.

"I tripped." Kopa said admitting.

She let out a giggle. "I didn't say you didn't, and it was quite funny I might add."

"Shut it." He answered back with the same monotone voice and blank stare as before.

"Come on, we'll try again." She said. Kopa got up and they moved to a small tree that was nearby. They sat in the shade, scheming for their next attack and looking for prey. They were somewhat on a hill and were overlooking a small pack of zebra at this point. Out of the four they saw, there was one in particular that caught their eye. It was small, but not to the point of being the other zebra's young. They figured that would be their best bet.

They slowly approached the small pack. There was a small bush nearby and they stopped behind that. Kopa looked at Anput to see if she'd make some snide comment but she just nodded her head to signify to him to go for it. Kopa crawled out from the bush and came up onto the zebras. He was baffled on how close he was getting. He figured he could get closer but that was too risky. He jumped out and only after a few paces of a chase he tackled the zebra and took it down. The others continued bolting off for fear of more predators but Kopa was satisfied with just this one. He held it down with his claws dug into the beast's hide and clamped its neck to make sure it was dead. Anput hoped toward Kopa from the bush gleefully.

"'Bout time." Kopa said after assuring his meal was dead.

"That was amazing Kopa, nice work." She said as she pat him on the back. Kopa was still panting heavily more from adrenaline than from an actual work effort. This one was too easy for him, and he wondered why couldn't they find that zebra a few days ago.

"Ladies first." Kopa said as he stepped back from the carcass and motioned his hand toward it.

"Oh, such the gentleman." The jackal stated quite flattered as she began to dig into the feast. Kopa soon joined her.

They couldn't possibly finish off the entire zebra in one sitting, so they pondered how they were going to deal with the rest of it. They could leave it there and come back over the next few days, or take it back to the cave. Despite the zebra's small size, it was still pretty big compared to Kopa and especially to Anput so they figured it would be quite troublesome to bring it back to the cave. But if they left it there, other animals and scavengers could possibly come across it and finish it off.

"Well we could just stay here and watch over it." Anput suggested.

"Just like right here?"

"Well, here as in the field smart one." She answered back snobbishly, noticing Kopa's dumb and intentionally obnoxious annotation.

"I guess. Well you stay here normally, can't you watch over it?" Kopa asked, unsure about leaving the comfort and security of his new home.

"Come on, can I really scare off anything bigger than a small rodent?" She asked quite bluntly.

"Ha, probably not." He cackled.

"Thanks." She responded a bit insulted. "What's so wrong with sleeping out here in the field? It's not that bad."

"What if something claims my cave? I got lucky the last inhabitant was smaller than me, what if I'm not so lucky the next time something creeps in there?" Kopa asked truthfully.

"You big baby, it'll be fine!"

"Ugh, fine." He unwillingly agreed.

"And if it gets cold out, we can keep each other warm." She quickly added with her usual suggestive look when she says something like that.

"Joy." Kopa said completely sarcastic. He still didn't know if all these comments of hers were jokes or serious suggestions.

"Oh come on, I don't bite." Anput said now evidently jokingly and even with a suppressed laugh.

"I do." He answered back sternly, again pretty annoyed.

"Oh come on, lighten up. I'm just trying to have some fun." She said as she pushed him over.

Suddenly Kopa felt the need to retaliate. "Want some fun do you?" He said good-humoredly before jumping high into the air, trying to pounce on the small dog in front of him. She let out a playful shout before dodging his attack and running off. Kopa chased after her.

For the really the first time since his exile, Kopa was having fun. He wasn't focused on the lower living standards, his worries about the Pridelands, or what was in store for him. He only was focused on his running legs, the air between them, and catching that little jackal in front of him. He gave out a hefty laugh before diving down on Anput. They rolled for a bit before coming to a stop where they were just a tangled mess of limbs.

"Well hello Kopa, where have you been since I met you?" Anput said in amongst her playful laughs, noting how Kopa finally was enjoying himself. "About time you loosen up."

Kopa just ignored her statement and continued to play along. "You thought you could out run me?"

"I thought I could, yes." She responded with another laugh.

"You clearly underestimated me."

"Well if only you could have run like that a few days ago, we wouldn't have been so hungry."

"Hey, I got us food today, didn't I?" He rebuked.

"Yeah, but after how many tries?"

"Enough, ok?" Kopa responded with a chuckle.

"Enough, uh huh." Anput said, laughing all the same with him.

Kopa rolled over and they began to just lie there, staring at the sky. "Ah, I haven't felt this carefree since I've been out here."

"I could tell. Why is that anyway?"

"Well first of all, finding out that you have to live on your own in the most desolate area for miles isn't really something to get you all jumpy."

Anput was silent for a bit. "Ok, I'll give you that one. And second of all?"

"Second of all…." Kopa restrained himself for a bit. He suddenly was drained of all the spirit he just had. "Second of all, I just have left so much back with my family and my pride. It's a bit difficult right now."

"Oh, I'm sorry to bring it up then." Anput felt a bit bad for reminding him of his personal problems and by doing so, dampening his spirits. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Kopa turned his head toward her and let out a friendly smile. "You can keep doing what you're doing." He didn't realize how right she was; company was almost a necessity when it comes to living in the Outlands and he would have been fifty times more miserable if he didn't meet her.

Anput saw the opportunity and decided to take it. "You know, we could just stay here, get married, and live our lives." She said with the same joking smile.

Her smile was contagious. "Oh god, here we go." Kopa said, bracing himself for another rant of hers.

"How perfect would that be?" She looked over to him and rested her free arm on the side of her body to where her paw was dangling freely in front of her. "Now if only you wouldn't grow so big." She plastered another grin on her face.

"Ha! That's what you're worried about? Not the fact that I will never accept you like that, but me getting bigger is what's bothering you."

"Yeah." She said matter-of-factly as Kopa let out a chuckle. "Well, I mean that'd just be kind of weird. Think about it."

"I don't want to," Kopa cut in still finding their conversation humorous. Even though she was taking a more serious tone with her last statement and her last statement only, Kopa couldn't shake the feeling that she was overall joking about the entire subject, as he felt she normally does.

"No, think about it. Right now we're like the same size, you being a bit bigger. I can deal with that but it won't be long before you're huge! You'd be with someone one-tenth your size. And I'd feel….suffocated."

They looked over at each other, both with straight faces. But that didn't last long because the two both simultaneously broke into a heavy laughter.

"Come on, let's go find some place warm for the night." Anput stated, still smiling and still cheerful, once their laughter subsided.

"That sounds pretty good." Kopa said as he got up and followed her. They came across a small dug out pit near a dying tree and figured it would be the best to hide from the wind. Not only that, the ground below and around them would act as an insulator, and it was in sight of the zebra they were to be watching over. Luckily nothing big had taken a liking to the meal while they were off running around. They hunkered down as the sun began to set. The two friends huddled up close as they already were feeling the harsh night winds.

"Look at that. It's so beautiful." Anput said as she was directed toward the sunset. It created a glorious sight as the dry desert air defined all the colors, making them more vivid. The reds, purples, pinks, and oranges reflecting off the clouds was like a work of art. "Isn't it romantic?"

"Yeah," Kopa said as he too stared off into the setting sun all the while thinking of Vitani, the one person he wished he was with. He got the small hope that maybe she too was staring at the same sun, thinking the same thing about Kopa. "it is."

The morning came too early for Kopa who was used to sleeping in in his dim lit cave. For the first time in a while, he wasn't excited to see the sunrise. He looked around to get a glimpse of the scenery but found it difficult as the sun was shining directly in his eyes. Finally his vision focused and he saw a small creature scavenging the zebra. He jumped up and dashed over toward it, tossing Anput off of him and leaving her dazed from the sudden awakening.

The animal didn't seem frightened by the small lion and continued eating his zebra. Kopa stopped and let out a loud roar. He hadn't roared in months, back when he was practicing with Mheetu in the Pridelands, but no one could tell. He sounded like he was already a full grown lion; even Kopa was surprised at the sound that came from his throat. The animal jumped nearly three feet in the air and ran off with its tail between its legs.

"Well look at you with your mighty roar." Anput said quite astonished as she strolled up to Kopa and the zebra.

"Well the damn thing wouldn't leave!" He said, still alert and completely missing the fact that she was complimenting him.

"Well it's gone now, that's for sure."

"So what now?" Kopa asked realizing how awake they were now when only a mere minute ago they were fast asleep.

"I don't know. Usually I would still be sleeping." She snidely stated with a joking grin.

"You never stop with the sarcasm do you?" Kopa said with a matching grin.

"Ha, I don't know what you're saying. I'm a very sincere creature."

"Yeah, ok. What does that make me then?" He asked, playing along.

"You? That just makes you a stupid cat."

"What? How does that work!" He said while busting out in laughter. "That doesn't even make sense!"

"It makes perfect sense. I'm the queen out here and you're just my jester." She continued.

"Oh yeah, you're the queen." He said jokingly and sarcastically, just like how Anput does. "Well back home I was the prince."

"Oh a prince!" She said, not even thinking if he was lying or not.

"You think I'm joking."

"Is that little tuft on your head your crown?"Anput grabbed her tail and held the tuft of her tail on top of her head to make it look at least similar to Kopa's, mocking him all the while. "I'm Prince Kopa, look at me. I need a tiny little jackal to keep me in line while I struggle to survive without all my pampering."

Kopa's smile grew and he was on the merge of breaking into heavy laughter. "You think that's funny?"

"I think it's hilarious."

"I'm sure you do." Kopa said. He turned around, acting like he was leaving her but he knew she'd follow. "This is going to be an interesting exile." He said still with a smile while Anput was trotting away with him, right next to him.

"Oh you know you're loving it."

* * *

I got the inspiration for Anput mocking Kopa with her tail by a picture I found of Kiara doing the same and thought it was funny so I added it in here. I actually get quite a bit of my inspiration from pictures and stories but most of the stuff in here is still my original thought.


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note:**

Chapter 12. Quite a bit of LK2 in the first part with little sidenotes so sorry if you don't like to read what you already know. It's to show how the stories blend together and to give a little more insight on what's not shown in the movie (the way I see it anyway). I really like how this turned out, giving more perspective to Vitani and Kovu's family in the outlands but I hate how the chapters regarding them are longer than the ones with Kopa. But at least there are more Kopa chapters.

Also, I may have lied on a previous A/N. You'll see how next chapter but it's just right after I posted something in the A/N, it inspired me to do something different. Like I said, you'll see what next chapter.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 12: Slaves and Drones

"Kovu, Kovu, Kovu. Scar wasn't even his father, he just took him in." Nuka thought out loud as he was walking aimlessly, thinking of how his mother appointed his little brother to be Scar's heir rather than him. "Oh hey 'Tani. Where's little termite Kovu? _The chosen one_." Nuka said mockingly as he approached Vitani who was so angrily trying to pull up a root from a nearby tree. Her aggressive growls could clearly be heard as she just ignored her brother. Nuka noticed this, drew out a claw, and cut the root his sister was tugging at which sent her flying off. He let out a hysterical laugh.

With the root out of her mouth, she felt she couldn't ignore him any longer. "Nuka, where's Kovu? Did you leave him out there on his own again?"

"Hey, it's every lion for himself out here. That little termite's got to learn to live on its own." He said as he began to vigorously scratch his underside with his hind leg.

"Mother's going to be mad; she told you to watch him!" Vitani answered back a bit mad herself, knowing she'd now have to put up with Zira's fury since Nuka screwed up again.

"Oh who cares, I should have been the chosen one." Nuka continued on his previous mindset all the while continuing to scratch every inch of his body. He soon leaned up against the tree that Vitani was trying to uproot and started using that as a back scratcher before continuing. "I'm the oldest, I'm the strongest, I'm the smartest…Oh, these termites!" He frantically shouted with a crazed look of someone being driven mad by constant itches. He jumped into a fit of rage, or something like it, as he tried so desperately to find a cure for the itch. "I could be a leader, if she just give me a chance."

Vitani let out a small chuckle, seeing how obvious that wasn't true. "Pfff, yeah right. Then why don't you tell it to her?" She asked, trying to shut him up. She was tired of his constant complaints about how Zira treated him but he never seemed to do anything about it.

"Yeah? Don't think I won't!" Nuka said proudly.

Vitani looked past her brother and saw Zira approaching with Kovu cradled in her mouth. A grin grew on her face. "Oh yeah?" She couldn't help but let out a small laugh. "Here's your chance."

"What?" It took a moment for Nuka to catch on to what she was saying but when it hit him, he was quick to respond. "Oh, mother. Mother! Hi!" He pranced over to her regardless of the fact she did not look like she wished to be pestered. "Mother, I caught some field mice for your dinner. I left them by the, by the…umm, ok." His excitement dropped fast as he realized there was no reason to continue talking, seeing how she completely blocked him out and kept on walking. But soon enough he followed her with a gallop.

"Hey Kovu, wanna fight?" Vitani said as Zira dropped the small cub in front of her. His sudden growl and the raising of his tail end gave his sister her answer. Vitani gave a small roar back.

"You were supposed to be watching him!" Zira shouted at Nuka.

Kovu stopped his taunts with Vitani and looked over at them. "It's not his fault. I went off on my own." He said feeling bad that Nuka was getting in trouble for something he didn't do.

"What were you doing?" She said, closing in on her own son.

Vitani and Nuka backed away, not wanting to get involved. "Told you you wouldn't tell her."

"Hey, I was easing into it!" Nuka rebuked.

"Ha, whatever." She sat for a moment watching Nuka go nuts again because of his termites. "What happened to you being all 'proper' and 'mature' to hang out with us cubs back in the Pridelands, yet looking at you now, it's no wonder mother doesn't respect you."

He stopped and glared at her. "Well at least I've grown. It's not like I look like I did a year ago." He threw on a largely obvious satirical tone. "Oh, is the Outlands too much for poor little Vitani? Is this lack of food stunting your growth?" He returned to normal speech. "Seriously, you don't look any different than when we left the damn Pridelands." He turned away from her and continued scratching himself.

"I'd rather look younger than I am then look like some mad hatter. Seriously, fix those whiskers." She threw a devious smile on her face.

"You little twerp." He raised a paw to give his sister a brotherly smack but stopped as he listened to Zira finish up chastising Kovu.

"You've got the same conniving mind that made Scar so…powerful." She said excitingly as she pet her son too hard to be comfortable as her claws dug into his rear with every stroke.

Nuka tuned into the wrong moment as he became annoyed with the constant praising of his little brother and gave out a disgusted sigh. Zira heard this and sent a low roar his way. He flinched before giving in to his usual unusual laughter. She rolled her eyes as she picked up the cub and started heading into their cave. Kovu clearly wasn't comfortable being held in his mother's mouth like he was but Nuka didn't care. When they were clear of earshot, he let out a discontented huff. "Uh, the chosen one."

*o*

"Vitani?"

She shrugged in her sleep as Kovu gave her a gentle poke. "Kopa, stop it." She said subconsciously with a smile that Kovu had never remembered seeing on her, a smile of happiness.

Kovu raised an eyebrow in suspicion as he was taken back a bit. "Kopa?" He said quietly to himself. He ignored it and tried to wake her again. "Vitani?" He gave her a light push which seemed to do the trick.

"Huh, what?" She snapped up in surprise.

"Vitani, sorry but can I sleep with you tonight?" He asked, sounding a bit worried and scared.

She saw this and gave him a comforting look. "Sure." Kovu climbed up to where she was laying and cuddled next to her.

"Can I say something too?"

"Sure."

"Well, I don't want to be Scar's heir."

Vitani looked at him in confusion. "Why not?"

"I don't know. I just don't want to be. I don't know why I have to be and mother's training, it's not fun. I just want to be a normal cub, with friends and no worries about having to avenge some guy who died before I was even born." Kovu explained a bit down about it all.

"Well our training's not supposed to be fun." Vitani answered back with a similar expression as her brother's. "Besides, you have me and Nuka." She gave him a friendly smile.

"But Nuka hates me."

Her smile soon dropped from her face. "You know…" She paused. "I never knew Scar either. And from what I heard from….friends, was that he wasn't what mother has made him out to be; that he was evil."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Then why are you going along with all this?"

"It's the only thing left for me to do." She said with hidden meaning.

"Oh." Kovu responded sadly. He sat and thought for a bit before continuing. "I met someone today."

"Oh really?" Vitani answered, not interested.

"Yeah. She was really cool. We had a lot of fun together."

"Is that why mother was mad at you?"

"Well, I think she was mad because it was Simba's daughter." He explained as if it was nothing. Vitani snapped up and looked over at her little brother with attentiveness. "Her name was Kiara." He continued as her expression didn't change. Kovu began to doze off as he rested his head onto Vitani's belly.

"Oh, and Vitani?"

"Yeah?" She said as she still hasn't moved.

"Who's Kopa?"

"What?" She seemed a little startled.

"Well, I heard you talk about a Kopa in your sleep. You seemed happy when you mentioned the name."

"Oh." Vitani said as she dropped her head a bit. "He's…no one." She said as she laid her head down over Kovu's back.

They both closed their eyes and were just about to fall back asleep when Kovu interjected again. "Well, I hope I get to see Kiara again. I don't care what mother says." Vitani opened an eye and peered over at her younger brother to see his facial expression but he looked just like how he did before, eyes closed and body ready for sleep. She closed her eye and followed him into slumber.

A few days had past and Kovu was right, his training was rough. It got more and more intense and he was getting more and more tired of it. Often he would look over at Vitani and Nuka and they would either be rough housing or socializing with the other lionesses, and he wished so desperately to join them.

"Kovu, come on boy. Focus!" Zira yelled at him.

"Mom, can I go and play with Vitani?" He mindlessly asked as he slowly turned back to his mother.

"Play? You want to play!" She shouted.

"Umm." Kovu was being backed up against a small rock as his mother's fearful glare was zoning in on him.

"Of course you can go play. We'll all die out here but it'll be ok because you'll be having fun." She barked angrily. "Kovu my son, this is war!"

"Sorry, mother. I just wanted a break. We've been at this for days." The cub stated innocently.

Zira backed off for a bit. "Fine. Have your little break. Don't think you'll get them often though." She turned to leave him while she headed back into the cave. Kovu was a little unsure on what to do but after seeing how Zira wasn't going to even turn around to look at him, he got up and ran off.

Vitani was watching Nuka from a distance as he tried again, and was failing again, to get to know some of the other lionesses. Every time he turned his head, she would pelt him in the back of the head with a small pebble and watch as he would frantically look around to see where it came from. In amongst her antics, she saw Kovu run off. "Kovu, wait up." She quickly caught up to him. "Kovu, where are you going?"

"Mom let me have a break! I want to see if I can find Kiara."

"Kovu, I don't think it's best for you to go back there. You might get killed if you're found in the Pridelands again."

"But I just want to play." He said confused as to why he could get killed for something like that.

Vitani flashed back to when she was told she couldn't see Kopa again during her mother's trials. She could have sworn she said the same thing about Kopa. She knew she shouldn't but she felt the same way he did once so she could sympathize with him. "I'm going to regret this." She mumbled under her breath. "Come with me, I know where you two can meet up with each other." Kovu's face lit up in excitement and they quickly ran off toward the Pridelands.

After a while, they came across a rocky opening with a tiny stream running through it, surrounded by thick bushes. "Wait here Kovu. I'm going to make sure no one's out there." Kovu ducked down in some foliage as Vitani slowly made her way out into the opening.

She looked around and couldn't see or hear anyone. She came up on some of the rocks which seemed to resemble centerpieces for the near circular area. Slowly, she walked up to the one rock she would always rest on, waiting for Kopa to give a terrible cricket impression. She stood there motionless as she stared at the rock, remembering their last moment together. 'Kopa, I love you.' She heard herself say. 'I love you too Vitani.' She heard her old friend say back to her. She heard a small cricket's chirp which snapped her back to reality. She rapidly looked around to see if anyone was there. After soon realizing the small hope she just had was impossible, she walked back over to Kovu.

"Ok, this will be where you two can meet. You've got to be sure no one will be here. It's really close to the border so it's not likely to be very active but still, be aware just in case."

"How did you find this place? And how'd you know all that?" Kovu asked curiously.

Vitani gave out a small sigh. "I'll save it for another day." She gave him a small smile. "Now stay here. I'm going to see if I can find Kiara." As she began to walk nervously toward Pride Rock, she began to question what she was doing. It's not like a banished lion would just be welcomed back for no reason. She went over what she thought she would say in her head but it all seemed weird and suspicious. "This is going to be the death of me." She mumbled.

"What are you doing here!" Vitani froze in fear. She slowly tilted her head upward to see who else but Simba glaring down at her with eyes more angry than she'd ever seen on him. She was too afraid to answer. Simba let out a loud roar which didn't help Vitani in the slightest bit. "Answer me!"

"I-I… I wa-wanted to see…Kiara." She stuttered as she stared at the ground, not able to answer him while looking at him.

"Where's Zira?" He demanded.

"B-back in the Outlands. She doesn't know I'm here."

"Simba, what's going on?" Nala said as she calmly approached her mate from behind. When she got close enough, she saw Vitani and let out a surprising, "Oh."

"I don't believe you. Where is she?"

Vitani didn't answer. She didn't know what to do.

Simba let out another loud roar. "Simba, calm down!" Nala exclaimed. "Look at her, she's terrified. And you do remember who she would be." She whispered in his ear.

"Nala, how can we trust her? Zira's probably using her as a pawn to get to Kiara."

Nala looked at Simba. "Vitani, do you know who killed Kopa?" She fearfully shook her head. "See Simba, she has no clue what is going on. We can just let her see Kiara this once can't we? I know you're trying to protect your daughter, especially after what has happened, but you can't restrict her so much."

Simba looked over at Nala, his face changed from that of anger to unwilling acceptance. "I just don't want to lose her like we did Kopa."

She responded sympathetically as she gave him a quick nuzzle. "I know you don't."

Simba looked back at the quivering cub in front of them. "Only this once. But Timon and Pumba will go along as well." He turned back to get the two. "This never happened." He said to Nala as he walked off. Nala stayed there with Vitani.

"Hey Vitani. How you holding up?" Nala asked her with her caring, gentle tone of voice.

"Fine." She said shyly. "I miss him." She found herself adding.

"I do too." She answered with a smile as Simba came back with the dynamic duo. "Well that was fast."

"Yeah, found them feasting on some critters under a nearby log." He said humorously.

"Yeah, and you disrupted us." Timon stated annoyed. Vitani let out a small chuckle but quickly retracted back to her fearful self as Simba gave her an unfriendly glare. She suddenly realized that in amongst all her fear at the time, she noticed a small hatred for the king standing in front of her. It took her by surprise but she couldn't deny it.

"Who did you say wanted to see me?" Kiara said as she crept through the grass.

"Kiara, this is Vitani." Nala said, introducing the two.

"Who are you?" Kiara asked, a bit stuck up.

"Just come with me, I've got something to show you." She said unsure why she had such an angry tone. Simba looked over at Timon and Pumba, signaling them to follow.

"Where are we going?" Kiara asked mindlessly.

"Keep it down, _princess_. First we have to lose the pig and rat." Vitani said between clenched teeth.

"Shouldn't be hard." Kiara responded as she quickly turned around. "Which one did you say was better Uncle Timon? The slimy ones?"

"Oh no, don't even get me started. It's the crunchy ones that are better."

"No, the slimy ones are where it's at." Pumba exclaimed proudly.

"Where what is at? The grubs of the world?" Timon over exaggeratedly shouted.

"Well grubs are in the slimy category!"

"These two have been at that argument for days." Kiara whispered to Vitani as they began to sneak off; Timon and Pumba still yelling at each other, 'crunchy!' 'slimy!'. "So where are we going?" She asked in regular volume once they were a safe distance from the ones who were supposed to be watching over them.

"Not too far."

They came up to the opening. "Kovu!" Kiara shouted as they came through the bush and saw Kovu sitting there waiting.

"Kiara!" He shouted before putting his chest down, and butt up in the normal playful pose but Vitani quickly intervened.

"No time for horseplay, we have to be quick. Kiara, this is where you and Kovu can meet to play. You have to understand no one must know. Got that?" She stated demandingly. Kovu and Kiara sat there listening, and nodded their heads attentively. "You can't play today, Kovu I'm sure mother's pretty pissed right now and Kiara, you've got to get back to those two dung beetles before they find out you are missing and your father comes after me for my hide. You'll have more time to play on your own another day." She went over and grabbed Kovu's arm to direct him to leave. Kiara sat there for a moment a bit unsure of what went down, but soon followed Vitani's instructions and turned back toward her entrance to the area.

"What are you doing Vitani? I wanted to play with her!" Kovu exclaimed.

"Sorry but if you want to continue seeing her you'll have to be smart about it. You couldn't play today."

Vitani was right all along because Zira was waiting for the two to return. "And where have you been? Have you had your fun?"

"Yes mother." Kovu said sheepishly.

"Well it was nice of you to take your time. Now come on. You can still play…play catch up!" Zira picked up the cub and walked off.

"What have I just gotten him into?" Vitani asked herself as she rubbed her eyes with her fingers.

"I don't think you got him into anything. You probably actually just saved him." Vitani turned around to see Malki sitting behind her. "That was a very nice and sisterly thing to do."

"Yeah, what do you care Orion." She said hypothetically as she began to walk off.

"More than you think." He said under his breath. "Can we talk?" He said as he quickly followed her.

"Do I really have a choice?"

"Well you did, but not anymore. How have thing's been?"

"It's been so wonderful! We have completely unsanitary water, almost no food, and my mother is getting even more insane!" She responded sounding all dreamy and excited.

"Look, I know it's tough but you're a tough girl. You will be fine."

"Yeah? How do you know?" She said back in her normal angry tone. She didn't realize why she was so angry today but there was no use in hiding it.

"Because you're your mother's daughter. And…" He stopped himself.

"How do you know my mother so well anyway?" She cut in curiously.

"We go….back." He said before quickly changing the subject. "I've been speaking with Kovu as well. He doesn't seem to like Zira's training at all."

"Yeah, I don't blame him. She's got this psychopathic mindset of overthrowing _Simba, King of the Pridelands_." There was her anger toward Simba again. Where did it come from?

"You know we can't let that happen." He said sternly.

"And why not. What has he done but make us starve out here in this forsaken wasteland?" She strolled over to a small rock and kicked it over.

"Because your mother is wrong. Her whole mindset and beliefs are completely off. Not only that, I don't want you kids to live through hate your whole lives. That's why I'm glad you set Kovu up with play dates with Kiara. It'll show him some good in the world, and it'll give him a friend he can care about."

"Ha, just wait until mother finds out then." Vitani said still spiteful.

"She'll probably think he's executing her plan and will probably praise him for it." Malki said as he rolled his eyes.

"So where does that leave me in with all of this?" She stared at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Aren't you waiting for someone to come back into your life?" He said with a grin.

"Kopa's gone and probably won't come back. He's probably dead, being out here all alone." She tried to cover the choke in her throat when she said the last part of her statement.

"You and I both know that's not true."

"What do you want with me and Kovu anyway Orion?" She asked, trying to get straight to the point.

"And Nuka." Malki added. "I just want to make sure you all are happy."

"Seriously, it's kind of weird considering how I practically don't even know you. Just leave us alone." She stormed off back to the Termite Mounds.

"I can't do that." He said softly, watching her leave.

*o*

"Kovu, you know you don't have to explicitly follow everything you're mother has taught you. I mean look at you! You're getting older all the time and you are just becoming your mother's mirror. Don't you want to be who you want to be?"

"What can I do Orion? It's not like she's practically controlling everything I am doing!" He shouted in exasperation.

"That's not true. You escape to play with Kiara every once in a while." Malki commented.

"So what? What does that do for me but give me a friend?"

"I was just saying she's not controlling everything you are doing. Its small things like that that will make you see things for yourself. You've only known Kiara for a couple months now and you're already living out some of her and other Pridelander's morals."

"Oh yeah, like what?" The cub snapped back.

"Well I've noticed you're more caring than some of your Outland comrades."

"What are you saying?"

"Just think for yourself. Don't always do what your mother would want you to do. Do what you feel is right, what you would want to do." Malki's sincere face told Kovu that he was just trying to help.

"I'll keep that in mind."

There was a crack off toward a nearby hill and Malki bolted off. Nuka slowly emerged over the hill, kicking a dead twig around. "Who were you talking to?"

"No one. Myself." The cub said quickly with a large smile, trying to be all innocent but quite frankly, Nuka didn't care.

"And he's crazy." He said to himself as if adding to a list of adjectives to describe his little brother. "Anyway, mother wants you. Called me over like she had a task for me, but no. It seems she just wants me to tell you, you little sack of fur, that she's expecting a kill by tonight. Apparently she can't fetch her own meal now." He turned and headed back dragging his feet.

Kovu gave a sigh and plopped down to the ground. "And where am I supposed to find something to kill out here?" His eyes followed a bug that waltzed in front of him. It continued on in the direction of a faraway patch of green, hardly visible in the distance. His head popped up as he got an idea. "The Pridelands." He jumped up and ran off.

He was more interested to play with Kiara than find something to kill. He could do that on the way back. So he approached the small opening but in Kiara's usual place, there was another tan lionesses, a full grown one. "Kovu?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry, but you can't play with my daughter anymore." The lionesses stated without emotion.

"Why not?"

"It's not safe, for both of you. Had I known this had been going on, I would have stopped it earlier. And you're lucky her father doesn't know."

"But, she's my friend."

"I know, but you can't keep coming back here. I'm sorry, you've got to leave."

Kovu knew he couldn't argue with the lionesses. If Kiara was the princess and that was her mother, than it'd be best to not test the queen. He turned around all droopy and sorrowful, about to leave when Nala stopped him.

"Wait."

Kovu looked up at her with uncertainty.

"Stay quiet. I think I heard something." She said as Kovu quickly laid low to the ground. Sure enough, not too far off there was some rustling in the grass.

"Go." Nala ordered.

"Huh?"

"RUN!" She quietly but urgently added. "You mustn't be seen." She said as Kovu began to bolt off toward the Outlands.

"Nala, what are you doing out here?" Kovu heard an unfamiliar voice say in the distance that was steadily increasing between him and the queen.

"Mustn't be seen." Kovu said to remind himself of Nala's orders.

"I think there's something moving over here." Kovu immediately stopped, causing his paws to slide a bit in the ground. They were on to him. He shifted his eyes from side to side, looking for a way out. He turned and dove into a small hollowed out log.

"Oh! Maybe it's those beetles we found the other day. You know, the gooey green ones."

"Pumba, for once I hope you are right."

Kovu had no idea what was going on. Beetles? He just stayed there, waiting for either a chance to escape or for the inevitable discovery that might end his life. It might have just been a mix between his fear and adrenaline but he now could see why Vitani and now Nala advised so much against him being there. He was an Outlander and if found in the Pridelands, serious consequences could apply.

"Hey Timon, maybe they're over here." Kovu looked out of a small hole in the log and saw a large pig pointing at the very log he was hiding in.

"Hey, maybe they're here." He saw a small meerkat walk over to his log. He scuttled back farther into the log as a small hand reached into the hole he was just looking out of. Kovu tried to stay quiet but the more he tried, the more obvious he swore his quivering was getting.

"I'm not finding anything. Let me see if there's anything in there. It might be all emptied out." Kovu heard the voice move toward the open end of the log, where he crawled into. He tried to scurry back more but he couldn't, it wasn't completely hollow. He saw a hand rest on the sides of the log and out of shear fear, he just closed his eyes. "Nope. I'm not seeing anything. Come on Pumba, this buffet's all sold out. Sheesh, the consideration for customers these days."

"Hey Timon, what do you suppose that is?" Kovu still sat there, clenching his legs and clamping his eyes closed.

"I don't know, some paw prints in the mud? Big deal Pumba. Let's go."

Kovu slowly leaned forward to look through the hole again and saw the two leave. He let out a sigh of relief and began looking around. He was so deep in the log, he could hardly see his own paws. He was lucky he was so dark furred.

He crawled out of the log and looked down at his skid mark, surprised they didn't see anything suspicious with it, it was obvious. "Good thing it wasn't a lion that found it." He said to himself, knowing one would have tracked him.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Kovu froze. He slowly turned around to see a younger lioness staring at him. Without hesitation, he bolted off.

"Well that's not too reassuring." The lioness said as she continued after him. And so the chase was on. Luckily, Kovu was small and could maneuver under and around small logs and other debris because all the jumping from the lioness was just slowing her down. Kovu thought he could throw her off and took an immediate right after some taller grass. Sadly, he was wrong. He wasn't going to let this be the end of him. He saw the lioness come up close behind him. He ran behind a tree to get out of her vision for at least a bit, but hidden from his sight as well was a ledge just on the other side. Clinging on with weak paws, he hung there. He could hear the lioness approach him. He looked down and saw a small pond at the bottom of the ledge and nervously let go. He fell straight to the bottom of the pond, and clung to some growth to stay under.

The lion approached the ledge and looked down. Nothing. It expected to see the small thing around the tree but it wasn't there hiding from sight. "No way it jumped." She said as she turned back. "Better tell Nala."

After holding his breath for as long as he could, Kovu resurfaced. He looked up and didn't see anything. He escaped. He swam over to the edge and shook off. Without hesitating, he ran back to the Outlands completely forgetting about the kill he was to get for his mother.

* * *

Kind of short lived when it talks about Kovu and Kiara's playdates but like it said in the story, they lasted a good few months. Just figured it was more plausible if they knew saw other more than just once before meeting agian as adults.

Might be hard to see in the end, but Kovu is still a cub here when Malki talks to him. Malki is kind of helping to guide Kovu to the right path and away from his mothers. Kind of why he turns so easily when meeitng Kiara later on in LK2. Will probably go more in depth in that later.


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note:**

...I didn't want to do it...It just fit so perfectly...

Like I said, I lied in one of my previous A/N. As soon as I wrote the note, a new idea popped in my head and it was so perfect, I couldn't let it go...no matter how much I wanted to. For those wanting more of Kopa's exile in the Outlands, you're part of the story has arrived. Grant it, there still will be some Vitani and Kovu. This is kind of a story that focuses on the background between LK1 and LK2 so I am inclined to include it all.

Hope you like the chapter, don't kill me for what I did. Enjoy and Review!

* * *

Chapter 13: The End of Something Good

"And the fearsome beast crept up onto her prey." Anput slowly moved up through the grass, cautiously placing one paw in front of the other. "Just on the other side of the thicket was her unsuspecting victim, completely unaware of what was going to happen." She came to a halt and crouched down. "The beast was ready to pounce." At this, she leapt through the air at the large body in front of her, but it suddenly and calmly moved to the side and let the jackal face plant into the ground.

"Really? Monologueing?" Kopa asked as she stood over the laid out jackal.

"Yeah, kind of thought it fit at the time." She responded as Kopa jokingly rolled his eyes and moved away. "Don't judge." She quickly sprang up to follow him. "It might not be my specialty but that's why I have you. I'm the mastermind and you're the killing machine."

Kopa let out a smile and rolled his eyes again. "Don't make it sound too much like you're just using me."

"I'll try."

"So, _mastermind_, what's the plan for today then?"

"I don't know. Figured you'd decide that."

Kopa let out a small laugh-like huff, finding it funny how she mindlessly contradicted herself. "Same old, same old, I guess. Survive."

"Sounds good to me. But for now, how about some food?"

"We still have that antelope from a few days ago."

"Didn't say we didn't. Let's go." She said as she scampered off. Kopa followed her up a small hill where she stopped.

"Why'd you stop?" He asked, not focusing on looking forward. As he came up next to her, he looked at her face and saw a look of fear. "Anput, what's wrong." She didn't respond. Kopa looked down toward their carcass and saw a large, full grown rogue lion chowing down on their meal. "Anput, get down!" Quickly, Kopa dropped to the ground and pulled Anput with him. "This isn't good." He said to himself. He peered over the tall grass to get a good look at the lion. The multiple scars and scratches didn't give any reassurance that he was friendly. Not only that, the hate could be seen in his eyes all the way from their post.

"I think it's best to leave this guy alone. He looks dangerous." Kopa said as he began to turn around and leave before being seen but Anput didn't follow. "Anput? Are you okay?"

"Last time a rogue came here…" She mumbled.

"Hey, it'll be okay. We can go back to the cave and we'll be safe. Come on."

She slowly snapped out of her trance and followed Kopa to head off to the cave.

"So what are we going to do now?" She asked once they were back at Kopa's cave, safe and sound.

"I don't know. I guess just hope he moves on." Kopa said as he got comfortable by adjusting himself as he lay on the floor.

Anput moved and sat right in front of him. "He's not going to."

"And what makes you say that?"

"Think about it. He's the biggest thing in the field now, a field with food. Why would he leave?"

"Maybe he's a nomad." Kopa said not really worrying about the ordeal.

"I highly doubt that." Anput snapped back with a not too serious chuckle.

"Well, we'll see." Kopa laid his head down on his paws and closed his eyes.

Anput, becoming pretty dwarfed by Kopa's growing body, slipped between his two pairs of legs and curled up near his scarred midsection. "Tell me about the Pridelands." She said monotone.

Kopa leaned his head over and looked at her for a bit. She looked so peaceful, as she focused on whatever was going on in her head. He didn't know what made her think of his homeland but it would do some good to jog his memory by telling her about it. "Well…. It is one big prairie, or savannah. Lush with green all around whether it be grass, growth, or trees." He gave out a friendly huff. "Much more green that the field and much more living than the Outlands. It's home to a bunch of creatures; elephants, antelope, zebras, rhinos, giraffes, wildebeests, lions, and one goofy monkey."

"How do they all live together? Aren't some of them your prey?" Anput looked up confused.

"Well, we all believe in something called the Circle of Life."

"Circle of Life?" She said sounding skeptical.

"Yeah. It's something my father told me, and his father before him and so on. It's like we all have a part each other creature's life some way or another. Lions eat the gazelles and zebras and such and when we die, we turn into the ground which turns into grass which gets eaten by our prey."

"Huh. Seems weird but I can see it. Tell me more about the Pridelands." She beckoned him to continue.

"Well there is plenty of water including a watering hole. I don't know how many times we'd play in the watering hole." He said with a bit of nostalgia and memories.

"Who's we?" Anput felt the need to ask.

Kopa dropped a bit. "My friends back home."

"Did you have a lot?"

"Yeah." He answered sadly, drifting into memories. "I had my own group that we would hang out with all the time."

"You miss them?"

"All the time."

"Go on." She said softly as she closed her eyes and started to drift off.

"Well, it real peaceful. My father made sure of that." He began to slow down, getting tired himself.

"Who was your father?"

"The king."

Anput let out a barely audible chuckle as her face curled to a smile. "So you really were the prince."

Kopa smiled back. "Yeah. Everyone was friendly, we all got along."

Anput cut in. "Except whoever did this." She rubbed her back against Kopa's belly while remaining curled tight with her eyes shut.

He smiled again. "Yeah. Except whoever did that."

The tiny jackal let out a large yawn before finishing up. "Sounds like paradise."

Kopa paused for a moment. "Yeah. It does." He said, saying it as if it was someplace he had only heard of and never visited; a place too far away to know. He dropped his head onto his paws and like the small pup next to him, was knocked out.

Kopa's eyelids slowly lifted as the small amount of light that leaked into the cathedral room was enough to be an alarm. He looked around like he normally does to get a better comprehension of the fact that he was now awake. He stretched out his limbs but quickly contracted them realizing he'd wake up Anput. He looked over and saw she was missing. She never got up before him. So he began to worry.

"Anput?" He called out. Nothing. "Anput!" Still, silence. He sprang up, frightened that something might have happened. "Anput, you in here?" Still no answer back. He began to run around the main room but couldn't seem to find her. He checked the passages and called her name but got nothing. He ran over to the room with the spring and what do you know, she was floating on her back, kicking water up as she swam. He suddenly calmed down, realizing how much he just over reacted. "What are you doing?"

"Swimming." She answered back bluntly.

Kopa stood and starred a bit as she rolled from floating on her back to treading. "You know I drink that water." He said matter-of-factly.

"Hehe, I know. You know I do too?" Kopa tried to hide his grin as he shot her a certain leer. "All that talk about you and the watering hole in your homeland made me want to swim. It's been ages!" She continued, exalting. "Besides, it's not like you didn't drink from that watering hole."

"Yeah but that's different. It was–"

"Bigger?" She said, finishing his statement. "Well this is more….cozy. Come on, join me." She beckoned.

Kopa was a bit unsure. He really didn't want to dirty up his drinking water but the main reason was he hadn't swam in a while either. He slowly approached the pool and dipped a foot in.

"Oh come on big guy. What happened to being a 'big tough lion'?" She said taunting him.

"So that's how it's going to be." He said with a devious grin. He moved back and did a running jump smack dab in the middle of the spring, sending water all over Anput completely soaking her. She did nothing but laugh.

"Whoa." He said as he emerged to the surface. "A bit cold."

Anput laughed. "You get used to it." She splashed around for a bit. "See, what would you do without me? You'd probably go insane."

He gave out a small shiver. "Ha, y-your pr-pr-probably right."

She laughed even harder. "You're really that cold!"

"I'll warm up." He said quickly so he wouldn't let any stutter out.

"Only if you start moving!" She said as she splashed him. He frantically tried to block the water and flailed his limbs around in the process.

"I'll show you." He said as he moved over to her. She let out a playful scream before he tackled her in the water. She resurfaced but he just kept dunking her. Finally, in her amongst her shouts, Kopa decided to let up.

"Damn, you play rough when it comes to it." She said surprised but not too serious about the situation. She moved to the edge and got out. "Come on, let's dry out in the sun." Kopa liked the idea, for he was still a bit cold. He got out and shook, sending water all over Anput. "Way to spray." She said, as she too shook off. Her fur wasn't as long so it didn't really affect Kopa like his shaking affected her.

They shimmied out of the hole and stood out in the sun for a bit. "It feels good out here once you get wet."

"Yeah." Kopa agreed as he stuck his head high and took in a gentle breeze that was blowing through.

"Hey, I've got an idea."

Kopa gave another shake. "I'm listening."

"Why don't we go to the Pridelands?" Anput asked in all seriousness. There was a bit of excitement in her voice as well.

"No." Kopa responded quickly.

"Oh come on, why not? I'm sure we can just go for a little, you'll be fine."

"No, I don't want to risk anything. Beside everyone thinks I'm dead anyway." He explained.

"Well we don't have to see anyone. I just want to see it. You were talking so highly about it last night." She begged.

He stood and thought for a bit. 'I guess it would be nice to see it again.' He thought. "We just have to make sure no one sees us. Got that?"

"Alright!" She exasperated, ignoring Kopa's request.

"Anput, you got that? No one can see us."

"Alright, I hear you." She stepped back a bit. "Lead the way." Kopa hesitated a bit, trying to remember the direction of the Pridelands but it soon came to him and he directed his friend toward his old home.

The walk was much longer than he remembered and if it wasn't so early, they probably wouldn't make it in one day. It was already getting late in the day. They came across the dirty pool and dead tree that he found refuge in on his initial journey to the Outlands. Their fur quickly dried in the hot sun and they began to wish they would have just stayed back in the cave to swim. But sooner or later, they made it to the edge of the Pridelands. They looked at it with astonishment; both of them. It's been so long Kopa swore it had changed but it hasn't. The whole scene exploded with beauty as the sun set behind Pride Rock, silhouetting the giant monolith.

"Whoa. It's so beautiful!" Anput shouted. "How could you ever give this place up!"

"Well it's not like I had a choice."

"Yeah yeah, you ended up getting yourself 'killed.'" She said ignorantly.

Kopa just laughed. "Ugh, you are so dumb."

"Come on, let's go."

"Whoa whoa whoa, hold up there. We got what we came for. You said you wanted to see it."

"Well I didn't know it would be this nice! Pleeeaasse." She said as she plastered a huge grin on her face.

Kopa couldn't resist. "Oh, alright. But we have to make it quick and secretly."

"You've got it."

It was already dark as the two snuck up closer and closer to the Pridelands until finally, they settled in a nearby clearing; the green grass was resting underneath their paws.

Anput unsheathed her claws and rubbed them in the thick ground beneath her as she gave out a moan of comfort. "Oh yeah. This is nice."

"Great. So can we go now? You have no idea how nervous this is making me." Kopa said as he was constantly turning around, checking his back for whatever might be out there.

"Calm down. I'm sure we're fine."

"Kovu?" A small voice sounded off nearby. Anput froze as Kopa continued to keep watch, not hearing the voice. Suddenly a tiny cub crawled out of the bushes. "Who are you?" The cub called out. Kopa definitely heard it this time because he suddenly froze as well.

He slowly turned around with eyes as big as the moon as Anput mindlessly answered back. "Who are you?"

"Anput, shut up. And what did I tell you." Kopa angrily whispered into her ear.

"I'm Kiara." Kopa froze again.

"Well, we just got lost. No need to mind us. We'll just be leaving now." Anput answered back tensely. She tugged on Kopa to get him going but he wouldn't budge. He stood there staring at the cub with disbelief in his eyes and a half-dropped jaw. "Come on, let's get out of here before this cub tells gives us away to someone more threatening." She murmured to him.

"You're leaving?" The cub asked.

"Yup. Leaving right now. No need to tell anyone we were here either." Anput gave her a cheesy smile as she continued to work at moving Kopa but he just wouldn't budge.

She giggled. "I'm not going to tell on you. I'm not even supposed to be out here." She said playfully.

"Sorry, we've really got to be going." The jackal finally succeeded in moving her lion companion as they stumbled away behind a bush.

"What are you doing?" Kopa asked anxiously.

"Getting us out of here, now let's go." She began to move off back toward the Outlands but Kopa stayed there and turned toward the cub sitting in the middle of the clearing. He peered through the bushes to get more of a glimpse of his baby sister.

"Kiara." He mumbled.

"Kopa, let's go!" Anput said as she came back and practically dragged him with her. "What the hell was that!" She barked at him when they were a safe distance from the Pridelands.

"What the hell was what?" Kopa asked unsurely.

"You gawking at the cub! What's the matter, haven't seen a lion in a while so you just froze at the first sight of one?"

"No! No, it's just….that was my sister." He answered lowly.

Anput backed off a bit feeling bad about her sudden outburst on the sensitive subject. "Oh. How come she didn't recognize you?"

"We never met."

The trip back to the cave was a quiet one. Kopa was too caught up in old thoughts and new questions about life back in the Pridelands after he left. Anput didn't want to disturb him as it was clear he was thinking of something. This left her to be more mindful of the cold desert night as they trekked back. It seemed much colder now that she didn't have anyone to talk to, to take her mind of the temperature. Kopa was too indulged into his thoughts that he seemed to not even notice how cold it was. Not long after, he began to open up and talk. The journey was too long to keep to yourself the entire time.

It was well into the night as they got back to the cave. They instantly went to sleep. A whole day and night of walking in a desert is something reserved for only the strongest of beings.

When they woke up, it was late into the afternoon and they were pretty hungry from their usual couple of days of fasting to preserve their food reserve. So they decided it was good to go on another hunt in the field.

The animals were very scarce and they had trouble picking out a good one to bring down. Luckily enough, they came across their kill that the rogue claimed a few days back. It still had a lot of meat on it so they decided to continue on that instead of continuing their hunt.

"Guess it did leave." Kopa said as meat was hanging from his muzzle.

"Or not." She answered back.

Kopa pulled his head up and saw Anput petrified as she stared at a point just above Kopa's head. Slowly he turned around and saw the rogue standing behind them, furious. He let a vicious roar and swung his paw across Kopa's face, bringing him down. Anput then dove over the carcass in front of her and jumped on the rogue. She clung on to him with her claws as she started biting frantically at the lion. He began to stumble as he fidgeted around with her climbing all over him.

She finally was able to bring him down but the fight was not over. The rogue grabbed hold of Anput and violently threw her off him. He got up and went over to finish her off. Kopa came back around and dove on the lion. He was still pretty small compared to the rogue but bigger than Anput so he was able to knock him over much easily.

Once on top of the rogue, Kopa slashed it across the face and began biting it at the neck. He sunk his teeth in deep, deep enough for the rogue to let out a loud shout of pain. But he too was soon flung off as if nothing. As he watched the rogue get back on his feet, learning all he was doing was just making it angrier, he realized this was going to end in one of their deaths and Kopa didn't like the odds he had of winning.

The rogue stomped over to Kopa and stepped his paw onto his throat, choking him. He tried to lift the rogue's paw off his neck but couldn't. A sadistic grin slowly morphed onto the rogues face as he watched Kopa hopelessly kick and flail in his suffocation. His strength was quickly draining and his eyes were slowly closing when Anput came up to them and bit sharply onto the leg that was choking her friend.

The rogue let up his foot and Kopa instantly rolled away from underneath him as he let out numerous coughs. He tried to get up and help Anput but he couldn't. He had to recover. So as he let out a few more coughs, he watched helplessly as Anput was flung around in the air, still clamped onto the rogue's foot. Soon enough, he jolted his foot like a kick and sent Anput off flying.

Kopa was finally able to get up and run after her but was intersected by the rogue. He received a heavy head-butt to the side which threw him down for a good while, leaving the rogue to continue after Anput.

As he shook off that last blow, he looked up to see the rogue full on pounce onto Anput. "NO!" He shouted as if it would help. He watched in horror as he saw his friend, limp and being lifted into the air by the rogue's mouth. He bolted toward them, hardly able to watch as the rogue clenched his jaw into the soft belly of the jackal. He could see the blood drip as he quickly approached.

Kopa came up on them and ferociously pounced on the bigger lion. The two fell hard onto the ground as Anput fell from the rogue's mouth. Savagely Kopa tore through the rogue's hide as his teeth continued to snap and yank at the beast. He bit hard into his neck, tasting the rogue's blood as it ran down his muzzle. The rogue rolled over and pried Kopa off him. Kopa quickly got up and was ready for the next move as the rogue slowly got to his feet, still in pain from the last bloody attack.

It was like a demon was released in Kopa. His eyes glowed like fire and his deep huffs and pants were mighty intimidating. The two stood there in a standoff for a moment before the rogue started to nod his head in lightheadedness from the amount of blood that was pouring out of his neck and down his scared body. He turned and slowly walked off.

"Run! Coward!" Kopa shouted in rage. His huffs were still relevantly heard to the fleeing rogue but they soon subsided as Kopa snapped back to himself and realized Anput was still hurt. He hustled over to her.

She lay on the ground motionless, with a deep bite mark across her. Kopa gently lifted her head which triggered a twitch and a cough on her part. She turned her head and looked up at him. "Hey." She said softly with a smile. Kopa let out a sad and worrisome huff. "Is it bad?" She asked wearily.

He briefly closed his eyes to hold back the tears. "It's bad." He managed to say, judging the fatal wound she sustained.

Anput laid her head back on the ground, closed her eyes, and let out a sigh. "All good things must come to an end I guess."

Kopa sat silently, looking over her, not knowing what to say.

"Like any other animal, I would have liked to be alone when I go. But Kopa, I'm glad you're here." She said weakly.

Kopa couldn't hold it in any longer. He busted, suppressing the sounds in his chest as tears started running down his face. He began to imagine what it'll be like in the Outlands without her. That only made things worse. "Don't leave me out here. Don't leave me." He mumbled as he ducked his head down low.

"What happened to being a big tough lion?" She said jokingly as a smile fell on her face. It was small but was as big as she could handle. It quickly faded however. "I'm going to miss you Kopa." She said, feeling death upon her.

"You're going to miss me?" He responded with a light chuckle, trying to ease her pain. She smiled. "You have no idea how nice it's been." He said with more seriousness.

"Just don't let the Outlands get the best of you while I'm gone." Kopa let out another suppressed huff. He bent down and licked her on the cheek. Her smile grew. "Hmm. Thanks." She relaxed the muscles she didn't realize were tensed up and stared blankly forward. She was gone. Kopa gave her a nudge, then another nudge. Every time he gently pushed her body, it felt like he was getting speared. With the last nudge, it finally hit him. He fell onto her torso and broke down. His weeps turned to cries and his cries turned into sobs. He was all alone in the Outlands.

*o*

It must have been a good few hours before Kopa finally let off the body of his close friend. He stared down at Anput with grief and remorse. She looked so peaceful. He gave a small sad chuckle, mixed with a sniffle or two, at the thought of how she was so full of energy, kind of jumpy, and always smart and witty and how now she lay inanimate. It was the stillest he'd ever seen her. He let one final tear run down his muzzle. As it fell onto her dead body, he turned back to wallow in his dismay.

He wasn't heading anywhere specific. He actually didn't even place one ounce of thought into where he was going. There was only one thing on his mind. His mind was a cinema of memories. He knew her for little over a year but he was so used to seeing her every day, she was part of his life. It'll all be different, and he knew that. He didn't want to accept it but had to sometime.

He came across a small puddle and looked into it. He stared down at his reflection but couldn't make out any of his features. It was all a blur. He let out a sigh and continued walking. How could it all have ended?

It felt as if a dark pit opened up inside him. He didn't feel anything but pain. Pain from Mheetu leaving, pain from having to leave the Pridelands, pain from having to say goodbye to Vitani, pain from losing the one creature that was holding him together in his exile. He began to reflect on all the things that have gone bad for him. He knew he was fortunate but it just didn't seem like it at the time. He began to get angry as he let out a fierce roar into the air. Why, he didn't know but it just felt right.

He continued walking and soon left the fielded area without a second's hesitation, off to wander in the desert for the next part of his life. Nothing mattered anymore. He felt different, hopeless. The sad thought came back into his mind as he remembered once again; he was all alone in the Outlands.

* * *

...I didn't want to do it...It just fit so perfectly...

I love Anput, she is such a good and vivid character and I really didn't want to kill her off but I felt like there was no other way. You'll see why in the next few chapters.

BUT, I guarantee I am not done with her. Will definately include her in the 'sitcom' idea that I have posted on my profile if I end up doing it (Which I found out, trying to write a comedy is much harder). Not only that, I may actually do a one-shot with her...don't know what about though.

Don't hate me. Long Live Anput.


	14. Chapter 14

**Aurthor's Note**

Sorry it's been a while (it's only been a like week? seems longer).

Quite honestly, I don't like this new layout...I don't like having the stuff on the side...Anyway, here is Chapter 14. Pretty dark, especially toward the end but it's to show Kopa 'slipping away.' Meant it to be longer but then it'd take a few more days. oh well.

Enjoy, review, the usual.

Let's see if anyone gets the small [really small] Muse reference K-)

* * *

Chapter 14: Darker Side of Life

His eyes opened. Looking up at the morning sun, Kopa's face clearly showed the wear and tear of life in the Outlands. He slowly got up and stretched out his fully grown limbs. It has been years since the one hope he had of keeping his sanity out in the wasteland was crushed in the jaw of a rogue lion. Even longer since his life turned around from a loved prince to a forsaken rogue that survived by being the strongest and destroying the weak. But all that was done. Today was just another day in the dreaded system called life.

Kope quickly looked over his body and glanced at all his scars from the past years, whether they are physical or not. Finally his attention was drawn to the disfiguration on his chest. The healed over gash that had destroyed his life. It all didn't matter though. What was the point of looking back on things if you already got what you need to get out of them. He in time learned to dismiss almost his entire past, sometimes to the point of not knowing how he got where he is now. He did what he could to survive and that formed him into the lion he is today.

He began to aimlessly wander through the desert which was now a daily task for him. His feet moved at a constant pace as if being guided by certain beat. His eyes and face never veered from whatever it was he was focused on in the distance. His paws occasionally would kick over a dead tree branch or a bone but he never seemed to notice. He never wondered where he was heading regardless of the fact he never knew. He was just going.

He was a runaway, a rogue, a life that was chewed up and spit out for another chance, even if he didn't want one. The beast let out a low growl when he thought about it. This is what his life has come down to; fighting to survive for another day not worth living. He was a walking disaster. He kept on going for reasons he forgot long ago. But he couldn't give up because that would show weakness. And he was not weak. He was going to defeat this insentient aggressor.

The hot sun didn't have the same effect on Kopa as it had before. He became numb to almost all physical dismays. For what physical is not just mental? He hardly slept but when he did, it was in the wide open desert under the blazing sun or the freezing moon. He did nothing but live out in the extreme environment that he hated to call home. Despite his near imperviousness to the physical sense, he still ached of constant hunger and thirst.

He slowly came up across a small dirty pool in the middle of the desert. He looked over at the small dead tree next to the pool with a few sprouting green stems of life. A devious grin grew on his face as he found it ironic how life could so easily start from something do dead. He turned back to the water, showing no eagerness to get a drink even when his mouth contradicted that entirely. He couldn't help but feel like he had been there before. He leaned over the water and looked at himself. It was the first time he had really taken note of what he looked like in a while. His face was solid as gazed into his hollow eyes. He had numerous cuts and scars on his face but you couldn't notice them until you got real close. The dirt and grime was like make-up, plastered on his face without a second thought about making it look good. As he looked at himself, he heard a voice deep in his memory. "This is who you are. Your actions and beliefs reflect who you are. One day you will look at yourself and see a different person." He didn't recognize the voice but it was all too familiar. As he looked closer, his facial expression began to change. His fur got darker, his eyes turned red, his brows narrowed to form an angry leer and his mouth reflected that of one letting out a heavy growl. Kopa was taken back a bit as he soon didn't recognize himself at all. "Hopefully for the better." The voice sounded off in his head again, finishing its previous statement. He shook off what he was experiencing; thinking his dehydration over the past few days was getting to his head. He leaned down and started licking up the dirty water.

In amongst his slurping, a small breeze brought in a familiar scent. He didn't react, just took a few more sniffs before stating nonchalantly, "What do you want Orion?" He lifted his head, water dripping from his lips, but he didn't turn around to face the lion behind him. "Here to _check-up_ on me?" It wasn't until a few more seconds of silence, Kopa finally turned around.

He stood just as tall as the older lion, and was much larger both in girth and strength, but still small overall for a lion his age. The Outlands never gives good portions of meals. "I can see you've been more successful out here the past few years than I have." It wasn't a false observation but it was the way he said it. Kopa, now an adult, almost reflected Malki except most of the dark color in his fur was from dirt rather than natural color.

"What do you want to preach about to me now?" Kopa answered testy.

"Nothing. Like you said, I'm here to check up on you."

"Bullshit. You leave me in this wasteland with nothing so I can fend for myself, then you randomly run into me and say 'Hey Kid, how's it going?' I don't buy it." The younger lion said angrily.

"Well I've been giving you advice over the years haven't I?"

"Yeah but after the first few, I already knew what you were telling me."

"I just want to make sure you're alright. You were slipping away last time I saw you. I don't want the Outlands to get to you."

"Yeah, yeah. Where have I heard that before?" He asked hypothetically.

Malki took a more aggressive tone. "Look, ever since Anput died, you have had this angry, narcissistic, 'whoa-is-me,' tough guy attitude. That might be one way to survive out here but it's not the best. You will end up getting consumed by insanity. I've seen it happen."

"And why do you care all of a sudden, Orion?" Kopa snapped back angrily, proving Malki's point.

He dropped his head. "I've been in your situation before. And I let this place get the best of me. I just don't want you to make the same mistakes I made when I was young."

"Touching."

"Seriously Kopa, don't think–" But Malki was quickly interrupted by the now shouting lion he was speaking with.

"Don't think what, that I can make it on my own? That I don't need you to point me in the right direction? That life isn't full of butterflies and you should just accept that it's one big hurricane here to destroy everything good? Look Orion, I have been more than fine on my own without your cutesy little life tips on how to continue to be a weak and innocent baby. And try and prove me wrong, that life isn't all what it's made out to be." Kopa snapped his body off toward the opposite direction ready to parade away.

Malki let out a growl and a roar as he leaped over to Kopa and stopped right in front of him. "Don't toy with me boy!" He barked. "Life is tough, especially out here in the Outlands. Quite your bitching about how you have it so hard. You don't even have it half as hard as I had, as I still do. In order to survive, you have to be strong and I don't only mean physically. That's only part of it. So from what I've seen from you, you're much weaker than you think you are. I'm surprised you made it this far. You probably don't even remember what you're living for do you?"

"I'm living for the sole purpose to stay alive. Nothing more." He answered back quickly as if he had that answer already prepared.

Malki took a moment for the words to settle and the air to clear, all the while letting out a long aggravated huff. "Nothing more. There isn't anything that's keeping you from giving up." He spoke more like a confirmed statement rather than a question.

"That would be the coward's way. The path for the weak. I am stronger than you think I am." Kopa said, mocking Malki's earlier words.

"So the names Pridelands, Simba, Nala, and Kiara don't mean anything?" Kopa stared at Malki emotionlessly. "What about Vitani?" He continued staring for a bit then slightly cocked his head to the right and broke eye contact.

Soon after, he turned fully away and started walking off. "Things I've almost forgotten."

Malki once again stopped the arrogant lion. "This is why I'm afraid of you losing yourself. Someone with no motives soon stops being 'someone' and starts being 'something.' A creature that lives entirely off animal instinct, with no heart or soul." He was the one to walk away now, leaving Kopa to, hopefully, take in what he had just said to him. Kopa watched as Malki disappeared in the sandy desert wind.

"Crazy fool." He mumbled as he walked off in his own direction.

As he began his usual aimless wandering, Kopa couldn't help but think. It wasn't that he had forgotten about his home, friends, and family. It was just that he had nearly run out of hope to see them again. He was ready to accept that for the rest of his life, he would be on his own, struggling to survive alone with no hope of feeling at home again.

How could he go back anyway? He was sure he could take down any aggressor that would try to attack him, but he still didn't know who tried to kill him all those years back. He could be killed as soon as he turned his back; he would be fighting an invisible enemy. Not only that, something was keeping him from returning, holding him back. He had not been back in all those years, he was dead to the Pridelands, to his parents…. Would he be dead to Vitani? She was the only one who knew he was alive. Had she moved on after not seeing him for all this time?

Kopa became angry and depressed. How could she not have. How could the Pridelands not moved on still with a live heir. How could his parents take him back after not seeing him for this long. For thinking he was dead all this time. He couldn't go back.

This was how it all was now. There was no way to fight it. Malki might have placed a small ounce of hope in Kopa but it quickly vanished once he saw the realistic view of the situation.

'But maybe Orion was right?' Kopa thought. He surely wasn't the same lion that left the Pridelands as a cub. Maybe the Outlands were getting to him. With more and more days passing, he has felt less and less. He even hardly felt the constant trembling ache of starvation. Less emotion, less care the world, and less care for himself. He was becoming void of all emotions. Everything seemed darker to him. Even his eyes seemed like they were placing a dark transparent filter over his vision.

He tried to console in himself but he couldn't. He got angry at himself, telling himself he was weak and that the way to get through life, was just that, to get through it. Wishes and dreams for things to get better were for the weak. For those too feeble to accept that nothing was good. 'How could I be so pathetic and weak!' He yelled at himself in amongst the war he was waging in his mind. He was emotionally and mentally beating himself up. Breaking himself down to the point of damage. This is what his life had come to.

His mind was suddenly brought away from the mess he was trying to sort out, to the old concept that in order to live, things have to eat. He tried to remember how long it had been since his last meal (if you could call it that). Seven days? Eight? Ten? He couldn't come up with an answer but that was good enough for him to know that he had to find something to eat soon. The only problem was that he didn't have anywhere to find food. He has been living off field mice and buzzards for so long; he had to have something worth sinking his teeth into. He began to redirect his previous anger toward his stomach. He decided he would not settle for anything less than a large animal.

He stopped and raised his head high, trying to see anything that might lead to a full course meal. To his surprise, he saw what looked like a half dead field in the distance. He swore it had to be an illusion, he wasn't that fortunate. But he went to investigate anyway. What's the worst that could happen, he would just get disappointed again? Kopa chuckled in his head at that thought. As he got closer, the field became more and more visible. It was real!

He entered the area and recognized it immediately. "Haven't been here since…." He said to himself, trailing off as he remembered the rogue that was most likely still present. No one would give this place up….well, no one but an exiled lion that was too small to fight for it. But he wasn't the younger lion he was the last time he was there. He could defend himself if it came to it.

"And what do you know." Said Kopa to himself as he saw in the distance an older version of the rogue that killed the one person that kept him sane out in the Outlands. He watched for a bit longer before continuing on his task. He prowled around the field for a bit. It looked more dead and barren than he remembered. The rogue must not have limited his feedings like Kopa and Anput had. It was clearly evident in the fact that there was no large game to be seen.

But he caught a peculiar scent. He raised his nose high into the air and gave a few sniffs. It smelt like food. He crouched down instinctively; if the prey was nearby, he didn't want to risk being seen. He patrolled through the tall dead grass for a bit. It was useless trying to be silent with such a dry landscape. The scent was getting more and more potent. He was getting close.

He stopped for a moment and listened. He could hear some faint stalks crackling from something gnawing at them. He was close. The animal must have been smart being able to hide from predators so well because Kopa still couldn't see it. 'I can't kill it if I can't see it.' Kopa thought, so he sat and waited.

Sooner or later, the gnawing stopped. Kopa's ears perked up as his body stayed motionless. He tried to determine where it was. He heard footsteps…to his…left, he concluded. He slowly got up to see if he could see the creature and walking away from his position was a full grown antelope. It must have been lying down while it ate to stay hidden.

Kopa dove out of his sentry and went after the animal. His prey soon caught on to the fact that it was being hunted so the takedown quickly became a chase. It had been a while since Kopa really gave an effort to run so he was having trouble keeping up with his next meal, an animal that has to be able to run in order to live.

He was beginning to think to just let this one go. He was losing ground on the animal and every stride he took, he was getting more and more tired. However that thought quickly left his mind once he realized he hasn't seen prey this big in a while. He couldn't quit just because of some pain. He began to lengthen his stride. His breathing narrowed and his hungry muscles ached with every movement but he didn't care. He kept telling himself he was too strong to deal with pain, that pain shows weakness and with him living in the Outlands, he did not know weakness. He felt a whole new being, one impervious to pain and even slightly to thought as he had his mind only on one thing and that was killing the meal that was trying to run from him. He couldn't see anything but his target, getting bigger and bigger as he approached it in endless white. His mind was so miss placed he didn't even have to tell his legs to leap in the air. They just took off right when they needed to because he landed straight onto the back of the beast he was chasing.

He pulled it to the ground and dug his teeth and claws into its back. He pulled out a mouthful of flesh and began to chomp aggressively on it. He swallowed the piece and looked down at his catch. He saw the stomach still rapidly up and down; it was not yet dead. A small shiver ran through his spine as he looked in the dying eyes of the antelope. How could he be so cold and vicious to eat while his prey was still alive? It completely went against all of what he once believed in, the Circle of Life. But suddenly Kopa realized what he just thought, 'what he _once_ believed in.' And that's just exactly what he was now, cold and vicious. Kopa gave a demonic smile as he looked back into the eyes of his panting dinner. He slowly lowered his head back down to the midsection of the animal, never breaking eye contact. He took another large chunk of meat and chewed it until the antelope helplessly looked away.

This is who he was now, a cold beast in the night and day. He lived to live and nothing more. He took another bite and felt the blood run down his muzzle and drip onto his chest. It was warm and felt good; he gave out another smile. He stood tall and proud, this is who he was. He hoped there would be others to look upon him now to see who he was. He hoped something more innocent saw him and got offended.

He felt reborn except in the opposite direction as if this new dark Kopa was spawned from something sinister. He felt nothing for anyone but himself and his own physical needs. The animal in him finally took over. It took control of his mind and body like a voice, directing Kopa to willingly do its every desire. It was like he was part of himself in a collaborated effort. He felt good, felt strong, felt…alive.

He looked over and noticed the silhouette of the rogue standing on top a small hill. They stared each other down for a bit, before the rogue left and walked away on the other side of the hill. As soon as he was out of sight, Kopa let out a dark grin.


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note:**

Kind of surprised I finished this chapter this early. I actually was expecting it to take a few more days before I finished this chapter. Like I said, I got a job finally so updates might be a bit slower.

I know some of you don't like the stuff that doesn't focus of Kopa but the story also is about our favorite Outland Family. The story still focuses mostly on Kopa don't worry (I was actually going to have one more chapter about Kopa between the last one and this one but decided it would be more climactic if I saved it for after this chapter).

But don't worry, this chapter is a pretty big deal in my opinion. It might end up being more important later but oh well. As always, R&R (I think that's read and review right? correct me if I'm wrong) and ENJOY!

* * *

Chapter 15: Another Dead Hero

"Looks just as beautiful as it did when I left." Mheetu said, staring off at Pride Rock and the surrounding Pridelands from a nearby hill. He held his breath trying to suppress the yelp of excitement he had in his chest, thinking of all the memories he had in his homeland and how he was so anxious to see everyone. "Come on honey, we're almost there." He beckoned to a pregnant lioness that slowly followed up the hill. She stopped for a bit and took in a few heavy breaths. "You alright? Do you need to rest?"

She let out a few more huffs before standing tall and looking at Pride Rock. She solidified her composure and put on a strong face. "We're almost there, I'll be fine." Mheetu gave her a quick nuzzle and they continued on toward Pride Rock.

It was not long before they came up on Simba and Nala waiting to greet them on the plains below. They weren't too far from the base of the giant monolith but far enough to still not be in its shadow in the high afternoon sun.

"Baby brother!" Nala shouted as she bolted over toward Mheetu.

"Nala!" He responded as they met somewhere in the middle. They embraced before continuing. "You look great, how is everything?" He said exaggeratedly.

"I'm good. Oh, you look so…much older!" She let out with a giggle.

He responded back with a humbled chuckle. "Yeah."

At this time, Simba slowly strolled up to the rejoined siblings. He looked past Mheetu and saw his mate waiting back awkwardly. "And who's the pretty lady?" He said with a grin that made Mheetu blush.

"King Simba, Nala, this is my mate: Srali." He said, introducing her and waving for her to join them. She slowly made her way to the King and Queen.

"Mheetu, look at you." Nala said with a playful smirk as she noticed she was expecting.

"Srali, this is King Simba and my sister, Queen Nala." He said with pride.

"Pleasant to meet you." She said calmly.

"I'm a bit surprise Kopa and Vitani aren't here to greet me." Mheetu cut in, looking past Simba and Nala as if he would be there. He let out a humored huff. "It's no surprise they're probably together already." He noticed a sorrow look coming from both Simba and Nala's face. "Is….something wrong?" Simba's face dropped a bit more.

"Kopa's dead." Nala said sadly.

Mheetu's eyes widened as his face lit of fear, surprise, and shock. "What?" He managed to get out before Nala continued.

"It happened about a month after you left. Nuka, Vitani, and baby Kovu have been banished with their mother, Zira as well."

"What happened?" He slowly said as the shockwave finally started to impact him.

"Zira killed Kopa to get revenge for the death of Scar. We gave her the chance to leave her children with us but she refused. It's been years since we've seen any trace of them. We don't even know if they're still alive. The Outlands can be a harsh place."

Mheetu stood there frozen. All his previous excitement has been morphed into grief. A tear came to his eye as he remembered his little nephew run around with him and the rest of their little gang. "How is Vitani taking it?"

"We don't think she knew it was her mother but only time would tell if she ever found out." Simba finally spoke up. "We assume she probably has come up with some lie, blaming it on me." He continued a bit upset.

Mheetu sank even further when he thought about it. How could this have happened? Nala thought it would be best to lighten the mood however so she quickly changed the subject. "Kiara was a healthy birth and has been just as spirited as Kopa was. A bit more adventurous but what can you say. We've kind of restricted her more for obvious reasons." Mheetu gave a slight nod, still dwelling on the other news. "She's here as well and wished to meet you when you arrived." Nala continued, signaling the two visitors to make their way to Pride Rock.

"That would be lovely." Srali said as the two disembarked for the large stone structure. She came up to her mate and comforted him. "Are you alright?" She whispered to him. He gave a similar nod that he gave Nala, his eyes still focused on the ground and his mouth somewhat propped open. She nuzzled him again. "I'm sorry, I know how much you missed your nephew, how much you talked about him." At this, Mheetu let his head fall on her shoulders as he let out a few sniffles.

Simba and Nala were waiting at the opening of the cave, allowing Mheetu and Srali to have a few moments as the news of Kopa's death was an obvious blow to the queen's baby brother. They soon slowly found their way up. Mheetu's poise was a bit better but his face still showed how he felt about it all. "Kiara, you're uncle has arrived." Mheetu's face brightened at Nala's words and soon, a young tan lioness arose from the cave.

"Kiara." Mheetu said quietly and with an exhale, as a small smile grew on his face.

She looked over at him and slightly bowed her head. "Nice to meet you."

Mheetu chuckled. "Nice to see you raised her with the manners of royalty." He said to Simba. "Come on, we're family, no need to be so formal." Mheetu said still with a light chuckle in his voice. He moved up to her and gave her a big hug. She was kind of surprised and was taken back a bit but soon eased into it and hugged him back.

"It's good to finally meet you." He said, pulling her away but still holding onto her.

"Umm, same for you." She responded a bit uneasy.

"Her first hunt is coming up soon." Simba said proudly. Kiara gave a shy and nervous smile.

"Well that's great! I'm sure you'll do great." Mheetu responded.

Nala gave a slight smile but it quickly shrank and formed an emotionless line on her face. "Simba, I'm going to go for a walk."

Simba saw her face and knew what it meant. With Mheetu here, she couldn't help but think back on old times. "Alright." He gave her a comforting smile. She gave one to him back and then headed down Pride Rock.

She walked all through the Pridelands remembering her brother, her son, and their group of friends that used to run around so carefree. 'Oh how innocent Mheetu was when he found out about Kopa…' She thought. A small tear came to her eye. 'He had no idea.' She plopped down by a river that rested on the border of the Pridelands. She looked down into the water and gently swayed her paw in it, watching the ripples twirl in the current. "Kopa…." She said quietly. Suddenly, she heard movement on the other side of the river. She quickly got up, with ears perked, waited for what was over there.

"Well looky here." A familiar yet unknown voice sounded off.

"What do you want." Nala instinctively demanded.

Soon Vitani came out from some brush on the opposite side of the river where Nala was. "Hello, mother. Or well, would be mother." She said cynically.

"Vitani." Nala said sternly. "It's been a while. I've seen you've grown." She continued, noticing this was the first time they've met in years and how she was a full grown lioness now. "Shouldn't you have a bit more respect? It's not like he wasn't your friend as well as my son."

"Oh don't get me wrong, I wasn't insulting _him_ in anyway." She answered back smartly. Nala gave out a defensive growl. "Don't be mad, I'm not in your _precious Pridelands_. So don't get any ideas of coming after me. If you do, it'll be free reign for me." She said with a sinister smile. Nala huffed as she turned around and headed back toward Pride Rock. Vitani's smile remained as she watched the queen trot off.

Nala made it back to Pride Rock and saw Mheetu still talking to Kiara. She was obviously more comfortable with him as she sincerely laughed at all his jokes and stories. This made Nala happy. She saw Srali sunbathing on a rock, watching her mate and niece enjoy each other, and walked over to her. "So, you and Mheetu." She said lightly.

Srali gave out a small laugh. "Yup. Oh you should have seen him when he came to our pride. He flirted with every girl that he saw. Made my father so mad. I was the lucky one that snagged him though." She laughed again.

"And who is your father?"

"He's the king of my pride."

Nala's face lit up. "So my brother is going to be a king?" She said excitedly.

"Not exactly. I have an older sister who already has a mate. My father is waiting to turn over the pride to her once she gives birth to her first cub. I'm a bit ahead of her though." Srali said as she gently slapped her oversized belly.

"Have you come up with a name for…." Nala didn't know if it was a boy or a girl so she stopped there.

"Her." The younger lioness finished Nala's statement. "Yeah, my family has had only girls for generations." She smiled. "I don't suppose this little guy will be any different. But no, we haven't come up with a name yet."

Nala gave a small pause as her attention was redirected toward Mheetu and Kiara, now running around and chasing each other. "Yeah, but he's great with cubs. Had him watch over my son plenty of times when he was younger."

"I'm sorry to hear about that. Mheetu kept talking about how he was ready to see his nephew and old friends, and how he would probably be king by now." Srali explained.

"Yeah. He probably would be at this point." Nala said softly. Again, she wanted to change the subject. "Well shame on Mheetu for dragging you all the way out here while you're expecting." She said jumpily, hiding her previous emotion.

"Oh it's fine. It was actually my idea to come. It's a tradition in our pride to have the child born in the father's homeland." She let out another calm chuckle. "Kind of goes along with the whole 'only girl' thing."

Nala could tell she was very reserved but overall a naturally cheerful lioness. "So will you be staying long then?"

"Probably until I recover from birth. It should only be a few days now until this gal sees the world." She said again as she smiled at her stomach.

"Well I'm sure that will be plenty of time for you two but if you wish to stay longer, you are free too." The queen ensured.

Srali let out another calm smile. "Thank you."

*o*

"Well that was a surprise." Vitani said to herself as she walked back from her running with Nala.

When she arrived back at the Termite Mounds, she found Malki talking to Kovu. Suddenly, she felt anger takeover again like she did when she ran into Nala. She didn't know why she felt so angry but there was no denying, that is what she was. Maybe it was the fact that she was tired of people trying to help her and failing, or that she hated what could have been and isn't. Either way, she didn't hold herself back at all.

"Kovu, as long as you see not to live your life with so much hate like your mother, then I have done my job." She heard the older lion say before she viciously jumped in between him and her younger brother.

"What the hell are you doing here Orion!" She yelled, initiating the retort with a growl.

"The same thing I always am here for. To–" But he couldn't finish. There was no need when Vitani already knew what he was going to say next.

"We don't need your help! Why do you insist on watching over us like a damn vulture! '_Trying to guide us to be better lions._'" She said the last part mockingly. "Seriously, why do you care so much?" She huffed. Kovu, in the meantime, stepped back and sat on the sidelines seeing how Vitani kind of stepped up to the discussion.

Malki let out a delayed yet disappointed exhale. "If you would shout any louder, your mother might come over. You know how important it is she can't see me."

"Yeah, but you should know how much I don't care." She replied softer, as if actually taking his request. She soon placed her volume as loud as it was before. "Stop trying to tell us how to live our lives out here! It's survival of the fittest, all this weak crap you have been trying to feed us for the past years has done nothing but slow us down. Now you still haven't answered my question."

Malki soon got just as angry and began to yell too. Despite how his voice was a bit more frightening, Vitani still stood tall. "You want to hear why I care? Why I am still here and _intruding_ on your lives out here in the Outlands?" He let a few seconds of a pause draw in the suspense. His eyes shifted between Vitani and Kovu. The older sister was much more interested in the rogue's next few lines than Kovu was. Malki dropped his head and closed his eyes. He let out a sigh before continuing. "My name's not Orion. It's Malki."

Vitani hesitated, it sounded familiar but she couldn't seem to find where she heard it before. "Why would that change anything? A name? Really? That's your secret?" She shot back smartly.

"I guess your mother never told you about me. I guess I could have figured." He said with a faint smile. He raised his head and gave Vitani an unusual grin. "The reason I care so much for you guys is I don't want my children to stray like I had. I want them to live good lives without all the hate your mother is pressing on you all."

"Wh-what?"

"I'm your father. Both of yours and Nuka's too."

Vitani leaned her head back with shock. Kovu raised an eyebrow in surprise as well. Her shock quickly turned to disbelief. "I don't believe you. If you're our father, why are you so afraid of mother finding you? And what happened between you two, she loved _Scar_." Her tone when she said the name was a bit distasteful; Kovu sank a bit at the sound of it.

"Because he was afraid I would kill him for all he did to me." Zira said as she slowly came strolling in. "So, you've been peeking into my children's lives for years now haven't you?" She said angrily.

"They are just as much my children as they are yours."

"Lies! You know what you did! You didn't raise them single-handedly after the shit storm you created." She snapped back.

"No, but I tried." Malki answered solemnly.

Vitani started to get curious while Kovu still stood at a distance acting more like a member of an audience than someone directly involved. "Mother, what is going on?" Vitani asked steadily.

"Malki was my brother's friend when I was younger." Zira began to explain. As soon as she said that, Vitani remembered the story she told her about her childhood and how Malki her and her brother was attacked by a rogue.

"Oh come on, don't sugar coat it." He interrupted sarcastically. "I comforted her and we fell for each other after her brother was killed by a rogue." He directed his attention back to his ex-mate. "Which surprises me that you would sink so low to 'kill' someone so close to even your daughter." A mischievous grin exploded on Malki's face.

"How you DARE bring that up right now." Zira barked.

"Bring what up? What is going on!" Vitani began frustrated as she was being talked about like she wasn't there. This obviously had something to do with her.

"Zira is the one that 'killed' Kopa." Malki said sternly. Only Vitani caught on to the strange way he said 'killed' because only she knew he wasn't really dead.

Vitani snapped her head back to her mother. "Is this true?" She said coldly.

Zira paused for a moment before stating solidly, "Yes."

Vitani couldn't believe her ears. Why would she do such a thing? She stepped back a bit before falling to the ground, deep in confused thought. Malki and Zira continued going at each other.

"That bastard Scar poisoned you Zira. This is not who you used to be."

"Don't insult him!" She shouted. "He was more of a lion than you ever would be."

"Yeah, I saw how he occasionally proved this to you through some solid arm swings. Why are you doing this to yourself, to your children?"

"I did what I had to do since you went on your rampage." Zira explained.

Malki's head dropped. It was obviously a sensitive subject to him, something he greatly regretted. "I told you, I wasn't myself. This place changed me and that's exactly what I was hoping to prevent with our children."

"They are stronger than ever out here! You are only weakening them." She spat in response. "They will soon take back what is ours and this place will be a place reserved for people like you, as it should be."

"People like me? Look at yourself! You are not too far off from me, what makes you feel so justified?"

"I don't need a reason." She answered back almost immediately.

"Gah, I don't need this." Malki said as he began to turn around to leave but he soon found himself encircled by other lionesses. "What is going on here?" He asked a bit worriedly.

"I'm doing what should have been done a while ago." Zira commanded as the other Outland lionesses zoned in on Malki.

"NO!" Vitani saw what was going on and jumped up to act against her mother but was quickly blocked off by two lionesses. There was nothing that could be done for Malki.

"Do what you will girls. Let your fury out on him…. Kill him." At her final command, they lionesses jumped onto Malki. He tried to fend them off but there were too many. He was a big lion but the numbers were simply too great. Two began to climb on his back, claws and teeth latched onto his body. He swung around and flung one of them off. At this, another one pounced and tackled him. He let out a fierce roar. He swung a paw and smacked one on the face but she was immediately replaced by another angry lioness. There was nothing he could do.

"Mother, stop!" Vitani yelled as she tried to join in the brawl.

Kovu quickly jumped up and held her back, watching out only for her safety. "Vitani, don't! They'll rip you apart as well."

"But, but…" She knew he was right. It took her this long to see the truth about Malki and she wished now she could do something but there was nothing to be done.

Malki kept trying to fend off the hordes of snapping teeth and slashing claws but just couldn't. A lioness jumped on his back again and bite down hard on his neck. Blood began to squirt as he collapsed to the ground. In his fall, another lioness slashed his chest, leaving another bloody wound. He landed hard on his back with the lionesses ready to finish the job.

"Stop!" Zira called out. The lionesses looked up and backed up to reform a circle around the downed lion. Zira slowly made her way into the circle and rested a paw on Malki's bloody chest. "I am so happy it ends like this." She said sinisterly.

"Zira, you don't want to do this. The Zira I know would never. I know you still feel something. Regret for what you have done, for the choices you have made."

Zira thought back at the moment of hesitation she had when Simba confronted her after she 'killed' Kopa. She did feel something. She remembered again what Scar had said about murder and how it eats away at the soul. The feeling was coming back. She loosed her hold on Malki.

"That's it." He said quietly. But this single statement brought Zira back to her present self. She stomped down and slammed him into the dirt.

"That Zira is long gone. The only one that remains is the strong, living Zira. Scar's Zira!"

"Then I want you to kill me. I'd rather die than see you live how you've turned into. Look at yourself, you hate Simba and the Pridelanders for what they did to Scar, but there isn't any differences between you and them. They killed Scar, you killed Kopa….You're about to kill me. There is no difference between those who banished you and yourself. You're nothing but a hypocrite."

Zira let out a growl and moved her foot to Malki's throat. Vitani let out a shutter, still listening in to the whole situation. "Quit your babbling. It's getting quite annoying."

"Then…kill…me…already." He managed to say with a few suppressed breaths as Zira continued to choke her.

"Gladly"

"Just…remember…" He began to say as Zira raised her paw high into the air. "I always…loved…" But it was too late to finish his statement. Zira's claws slide across the lion's neck like a knife through butter. A few gaggles and gurgles were the last thing heard from the lion as his windpipe and throat both was filled and expelled large amounts of blood. He was dead.

"NO!" Vitani screamed, still being held back by her brother. Kovu was even having a hard time not letting her go.

"Get his body out of here." Zira commanded coldly to the other lionesses. She walked over to a now crying Vitani. She hadn't cried since the first days in the Outlands and it made her look substantially more vulnerable, more innocent. Probably the reason she didn't cry anymore. "What's done is done. Come on, we have work to do." She said to her daughter.

Zira began to walk away with Kovu still holding up his sister, when in amongst Vitani's cries, she mumbled a quiet "no."

Zira stopped and walked back and stood right in front of her. "What did you say?" She said in an angry whisper.

"No." Vitani responded.

"Listen here, you either come with me and continue on as if nothing would happen or you end up like your dear old father." She said hatefully.

Vitani continued to wallow for a bit, being supported by her younger brother. What could she do? She knew Zira wouldn't kill her but she just felt so hopeless. Malki was just trying to help and now she could see why. But what was it that he did to make Zira hate him so much? He seemed like a caring lion. More care in him than anyone she's seen in a while. And what about how she was the one that attacked Kopa? Kopa didn't know who did it to him but he kept saying a few days before the event how Zira was scaring him. 'Why did I not listen to him? It all would be so different right now.' She exasperated in thought. But with that thought she realized something. Things aren't what they could have been, they are what they are. There was nothing she could do but keep moving on. She figured long ago she would never see Kopa again. She didn't even know if he was still alive. There was nothing she could do but follow her mother and survive the way they have so far. It was who she was at this point. The chosen method of survival determines the character of the being. She just hoped that what Malki did for her and Kovu wasn't in vain. She wanted it to have affected her but she just didn't know if it did.

"What's it going to be dear child." Zira said evilly.

Vitani let out a few more sniffles as her tears began to subside. There was nothing she could do, but follow her plans. She had no other choice. Her answer comprised of eye contact with her mother, and a disappoint huff as she dropped her head back down. Zira knew what this meant, Vitani gave in.

"Alright. Let's get back to work. Our plan commences soon." She said excitedly as she walked off toward the Termite Mounds. A few other lionesses followed as well as Kovu and Vitani.

Vitani stopped however and looked back at Malki's limp body. The lionesses trying to move the body were moving very slowly, laughing and joking about trying to not get his blood on them for it was still quite running. One lionesses jokingly pushed another into the body that was hoisted onto the back of a third. She jokingly screamed as there was a mark of blood now on her side. The other's laughed. 'It was as if he wasn't even a real being.' Vitani thought in disgust.

"You alright sis?" Kovu asked kindly as she looked back and saw Vitani, stopped and staring. She turned back to him and kept walking.

*o*

"Oh, this is so exciting!" Nuka said practically jumping up and down with a half lit stick in his mouth.

"Settle down. You're like a little kid." Vitani said as she rolled her eyes, her too with a flamed branch in her muzzle.

"What are we waiting for anyway?"

"We wait for Kiara to get close so we can trap her." She answered back still annoyed.

Nuka stood stiff as a stone for just a moment. "Oh right." He said as he went back to being all wiggly. Soon, Kiara came into sight as she slowly made it up a nearby hill. The two took off without any hesitation. Nuka gave out a skittish leap with every step as he shouted, "Let's, light, fire!" Vitani chuckled as she ran the other way with her head low to the ground, lighting the dry grass aflame with the stick protruding from her mouth. They quickly ran around a large designated area, making a dashed line of lit grass, closing Kiara in a large wildfire. They ran off, waiting for Kovu's part in Zira's plan.

*o*

"Are you sure you have to leave? You're welcome to stay long if you wish." Nala offered to her departing little brother and his mate.

"I think we've been enough of a burden." Mheetu jokingly said.

"Besides, my parents will want to see little Htela." Srali said with a smile as the baby cub sat at her feet, looking curiously up at Nala. Mheetu gave his mate a good nuzzle before picking up the cub gently in his mouth. It clenched up and froze as she was being picked up by the back of her neck. "But don't worry, we'll visit again someday." She finished.

"You already said goodbye to Simba and Kiara earlier right?" The queen cut in to ask.

"Well we had to before her first hunt!" Mheetu answered back enthusiastically. "Not only that, we had to wish her luck. I'm sure she'll do great."

"She was really fond of you. You always do make a great uncle." Nala said in a friendly tone.

"Yeah. I'm just glad I still am one." He answered back a bit solemnly. "Well, we better be heading off."

Nala gave them both a good embrace before they sent off to head back to their own pride. "It's been good to see you. Come back soon. And take care of this little gal." She smiled at Htela, still clenched in her father's mouth.

"You've got it sis." He smiled and the two lions with their tiny new born were off.

"It's weird seeing him all grown up like that." Nala said calmly, to herself. She looked off in the distance and saw smoke rising over a hill. "And yet it seems whenever he leaves, all hell breaks loose." She said merely slightly panicked as she ran back to Pride Rock.

* * *

Sorry for the somewhat choppy ending but I had to have Mheetu depart. I'm trying to make it as in sync with canon Lion King as possible and Mheetu wasn't in the second movie so he had to leave before I put in any scenes from LK2.

I had to bring Mheetu back somehow, and I appologize for bringing him in and then just having him leaving again later in the chapter but it was how I wanted it to be.


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note:**

Hey readers, it's been a while!

But like I warned in my profile, I got a job so updates might be a bit slower. Another thing that took me a while was simply, I wasn't in the mood. This chapter was kind of hard to write in a good mood so I usually just waited until I felt like writing this chapter. In the meantime, I was working on a one-shot called 'Making Electricity'. I was more in the mood to write that recently so that's what I focused on. I've been working on that for a while and in between chapters of 'Alive' but it's finished and out of the way so I won't have to worry about that anymore.

Kind of liked how this chapter turned out (SPOILER: really liked that fight...you'll see), the end was a bit rushed though. It's because I wanted to finish it before I headed off to work so that my mind was still fresh with ideas of what was to go on in the chapter. So I appologize for that if it seems a bit like it ended quickly.

As usual; Read, Review, and Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 16: Alive

It was all how it was.

They sat there all grown up and not knowing where to go from there, but it didn't matter. They looked at themselves and where they currently were, and realized it wasn't too far from how it had previously been. There was a time when everything was right, similar to where they were right now. He remembered sitting on a cliff waiting for the sun to rise with an old friend, just like what he was doing now. Things weren't perfect but they managed to a point that was pretty damn close. He remembered how they would talk and dream Siamese dreams about where they would be in the future. Their life's weren't the most fortunate at times, hers especially, but they were happy. They comforted each other when they needed it, they reflected on their hardships in the past years, and they coped with the good fortune that was their troubled lives. It was all good now as it had been years before. They swayed in the wind as a breeze rolled in.

The calm world around them just made them think about their situation, their past, and their future. They stared off into the rising ball of fire that exploded the land with a golden light and thought if anything had changed between them. Were they still who they used to be? That was a definite no. But were they still who they used to be toward each other? Only time could answer that.

They thought of their friends, of their hardships, of the trials of life that they both passed with flying colors and realized they were practically the same beings. Both had their own problems and both seemed to understand each other. They silently comforted each other as she rested her head on his shoulders. A gentle exhale came from her mouth and his lips twitched a bit with a content smile. No words were spoken but the moment seemed as if they each read a novel to each other.

And then, he opened his eyes.

The evening desert sun beat down on Kopa with hard fists. He never had a constant sleep cycle anymore so sometimes he would sleep in the dead of day, other times he would go to bed at sunrise, other times at sunset. But it was clear by the low setting sun that he took a day rest this time. He slowly got up onto his feet. He was weak from the heat and hunger and thirst, but he didn't feel any of that. He hardly felt anything anymore. He looked around at the vacant land, thinking what was in store for him today and not even taking note of his previous vision. It was hard to tell if he even remembered the dream at all when he woke up. Most likely not; he never really dreamed anymore and when he did, he never remembered them. It was as if he was just there, rather than alive.

He began to wander aimlessly through the dirt and sand until it got dark. Usually while awake and conscious (if that's what you'd call it), he would just walk around until he found something to kill for food, or until he found something to kill for fun. It was a very simplistic and isolated life but there wasn't much left for him to do.

As if the sun collapsed in the sky at his doing, with the moon already visible, Kopa felt like a strange sense of pride. He felt like he had something worth doing. He always felt this way at night, especially when the moon was large. He prowled around the vacant Outlands; the harsh desert night winds didn't even seem to faze him. He moved like he was set on something, like he had a purpose but really it was just more wandering around.

He stopped at numerous points in time just to point his nose high into the sky and sniff around. He was amazed at how well his senses were at night. It might have just been a heavy placebo but he felt stronger, braver, and more alert. Everything moved as if it was slow motion.

He let out a devilish grin, feeling like he was on top of the animal world. He was a beast, an invulnerable beast at that it seemed, and nothing more. And both to prove his point even more and to cause a strange coincidence, a small field mouse poked his head out from a hole in the dirt. It let his nose sniff around for a bit. Kopa didn't move. He only waited with a petrified smirk on his face. Waited, as the mouse slowly made its way out of the hole and tried to dash to another underground entry nearby. Unfortunately for the mouse, Kopa was a smart killer. He still sat motionless as the mouse ignored the presence of a frozen and lifeless seeming statue, as any simple animal would do. He saw the mouse slowly come to a stop. It raised its tiny nose back into the air. Kopa could practically mock what the mouse was thinking. 'Wait, what is that?…..I missed something earlier….. It smells like….' And that's when it turned around and stared at Kopa's now cold eyes. He let out a sinister smile/leer combination that was enough to freeze any small animal. As it seemingly did, Kopa sprang forward and caught the little guy in one paw. He watched it squirm around before he threw it in his mouth with a single motion. So what if Kopa never took it to heart when his mother told him to 'not play with his food.'

If that little antic didn't make him feel his dominance over the deserted wasteland, his constant self-praises as he prowled around would have done the trick. He constantly was telling himself, 'You are an animal.' 'Instinct is what drives you.' 'Strength is all you need.' 'This feeling is not a curse but a gift.' 'Freedom to live on instinct like the animal you are.' It was something like self implemented brainwashing.

But the game of mouse trap that he just conquered was surely not enough to satisfy him though. He wanted more. He felt a need to be a predator but the only problem was that he had no prey.

And almost just like that, the beast remembered something. There used to be a place where he had free reign to all the creatures he could devour. It was only a few months since he had last been there, and before then a few years, but since the isolation of the Outland's consumed his sanity, it was like he was a new being every day, forgetting the events of the day before. But this memory was very faint. He tried hard to see it but only remembered a few blurred images.

He couldn't remember the place or how to get to it but something was telling him to run in a certain direction. Recently, Kopa had never, not listened to his instincts. So he quickly stretched out his legs and took off on a good run.

He ended up following the moonlight. He took note how it felt to have his heart beat like it did when he ran. He liked the crazed sensation of feeling all the blood in his body pump as speeds much greater than his own. A small thought entered his mind; something about how he craved so much blood while he already had so much in him but the thought quickly diminished when he arrived at his destination.

The field looked pretty dead but in the moonlight, it looked like a shimmering silver blanket. He scanned the tall grass until, off in the distance, he saw a figure. It was as if his eyes were that of an eagle because he recognized the figure even after all these years. Kopa let out a sadistic smile that had a few of his teeth shine in the moonlight. He slowly approached it.

The creature must have seen Kopa stroll leisurely up to him because about halfway through Kopa's approach, he stopped and faced the lion and waited for him to continue his approach. When he came up, Kopa stopped and stared with evil eyes. After a while he let out a devilish grin. In his mind, Kopa was sizing up the lion he had approached. He looked at his older body and scared up muzzle and knew he could easily take down the rogue, this same rogue that killed the one cure he had for the Outland's disease. But for this new Kopa, he felt like he wasn't there to get revenge for Anput but more for just a fight.

He let out a challenging roar. The rogue stood still before looking at him with almost sad eyes. 'Guess he knows he's going to die tonight.' Kopa thought to himself. He got down to a fighting pose and the rogue responded by doing the same. The sadness and almost fear was gone from the rogue's eyes as he knew he had to fight. Kopa just hoped he recognized him. It would feel so much more glorious to the younger lion if the rogue remembered the puny little cub that he was when he first confronted him, and realized what a mistake it was back then.

Without any further delay, Kopa dove for the rogue. The rogue recoiled as his back hit the ground with the force of the pounce and the weight of both bodies. Kopa's claws dug into the rogue's fur but with a vicious roar, the rogue swung his hind legs to his chest and kicked off the younger rampant lion. Kopa flew into the air and skid on the ground for a couple feet when he landed. He quickly shook off the blow and went straight into another pounce. The rogue brought his paws up and stood on his hind legs, slashing his claws at the projecting lion. Though he received a few deep cuts, it was not enough to stop him as he still flew at the older lion.

Kopa landed on the chest of the rogue and bit into his neck, but before he could dig deep enough to affect him, he withdrew to gain his balance as the rogue began to fall to the ground again. The rogue landed on his back just like he did before. Knowing another kick was coming, Kopa moved to the side of the tackled rogue, gripped an arm and leg and rolled over, tossing the older lion away. The age of the rogue lion was clearly showing as he stammered to get up. Kopa was standing ready long before the rogue got back onto all fours.

Kopa let out a loud roar, mainly to signify his superiority in the fight, while the rogue just stood and took it. The scarred eyes of the rogue were dim with weariness. He propped his head up a bit higher as if he was stronger than he appeared. Kopa waited for a sign of the next attack. He felt bad he had all the first hits. But he soon received something he was not expecting. He saw the rogue turn and bolt off in the opposite direction. Was this really happening? Kopa couldn't believe anyone would just run like that. How could anyone just run like that? It took him a moment before he decided to chase after it. He wasn't going to let his prize slip away. He was set to kill, so why stop now.

The rogue was clearly slower than Kopa because he was gaining very rapidly. In amongst the chase, he noticed the rogue would continuously turn his head back to Kopa. He didn't know why, he just kept wanting to look into the face of his killer he presumed. But suddenly, the rogue pivoted at an instant and turned toward Kopa. He quickly leaped, hovering slightly over the ground, and hit the pursuing lion with a line-drive. It was a cheap and unfair trick on the rogue's part which just made Kopa even angrier.

The next thing Kopa knew, he was rolling backwards like the ball that the tangled two now were in. They came to a stop and the rogue thrust Kopa down on the ground. He quickly drew his claws and gave his muzzle a hard smack. Blood splashed out from Kopa's nose and mouth. But he didn't stop there. With the momentum of his movements, he smacked him again with the other paw, then the first one again. Kopa had had enough at this point and spat some of his blood that was pooling in his mouth into the face of the rogue. He eased up to cringe at the unexpected retaliation which gave the younger lion the opportunity to get push off his assailant.

As soon as Kopa got onto his feet, he pounced on the rogue and laid a single hit across his face similar to the ones Kopa just received. But he didn't want to do the same thing. That would show bad taste. So he got off him and let his opponent stumble up to his feet. He waited until he got back into a fighting ready pose before he ran toward the rogue. They both got up on their hind legs and started clawing and pushing at each other. Kopa found his balance wasn't too great on two legs so he was beginning to fall. He unwillingly grabbed the rogue's shoulders to stabilize himself. In his fumbling around, he raised one of his legs and kicked the rogue in the chest causing him to fall on his back. Kopa now had no chance of keeping balance so he fell too, but in a much more controlled way.

Stabling himself, Kopa quickly gave the rogue another attack. He could tell the rogue was getting tired from his beating because his movements were getting much slower. He practically didn't have any time to brace for Kopa's next attack. They went at each other again before pushing off again. This time no one fell.

The bodies of the two were beginning to look like a badly bruised apple. Kopa had more blood coming from his face from the few hit he had taken while pinned but the rogue was clearly the one with the most damage. He wasn't bleeding as much but he had a few gashes from Kopa's hard hits and was bruised much more. He had many swollen area around his face and chest. Kopa only had a few bruises.

The rouge somehow found enough strength to attack first this time. He came up to Kopa and they both stood on their hind legs again. Kopa hacked at the rogue's chest with his claws. He stumbled back a bit from the attack before falling on his back again but Kopa didn't stop. His bad balance while standing up right kicked in again and he began to fall forward. In his falling, he moved one of his legs to establish steadiness but unknowingly landed it on one of the rogue's fore leg. Kopa could hear a large and loud _crack_ as he felt the arm give underneath almost his full weight. He smiled as the rogue let out an ear piercing shriek. It was music to his ears with the breaking bones as the drum line.

Once he got his balance, he stood for a bit catching his breath as the rogue tried its best to get back up with only three able appendages. He limply walked toward Kopa with his paw dangling halfway between the ground and his chest, avoiding putting any bit of pressure on it.

Kopa let out an evil laugh. He admired the rogue's persistence to not walk away from the fight when he knew he'd been beat. It was then that he decided to end it. He dove forward and drove his claws into the rogue's shoulders. He slammed his upper body down to the ground and clamped his maw down on the rogue's neck. He twitched his head to break the neck and it was done.

He could feel the bits of neck bone crush under the strength of his jaw as blood poured out of the now dead body. He could taste the high-iron substance as it was unavoidable to get some in his mouth. It continued to squirt out. Streams of the warm liquid ran down Kopa's muzzle and chest as he finally dropped the body that was being held in his mouth. The face of the rogue was frozen with its last expression. It was a cold and empty realization that death had finally found him. He couldn't help but grin as he stared into the cold dead vacant eyes of the rogue. He had never felt so alive.

Without any respect or recognition for the being he just killed, Kopa slowly turned and walked away, leaving the body as it was in the middle of the field.

He felt great, not even noting both his and the rogue's drying on his fur. He just killed, not in malicious or murderous way but in a way that he earned. He earned the kill. He shared, for only a quick moment, a thought of long ago. It was hard to distinguish whether the memory actually existed now in his altered and insane mind but it was about someone he once called father. What would her think? Kopa smiled. 'He'd be appalled.' He thought with glee. The isolation of the outlands truly did turn change him. It made his strong willed mind quiver in insanity. He was alone and he was the king. No one could change that. No one?

Suddenly, he stopped dead in his tracks. He closed his eyes and raised his nose into the air, gently taking secluded whiffs of the air around him. He smelt something….something familiar. Something he hadn't smelt in a while. He didn't know what it was but somehow he knew he had smelt it before. A small image flashed in front of his eyes of his head resting on someone and he smelt the same intoxicating smell. It was like a subliminal message because as soon as it appeared, it vanished. What the hell was that smell?

He tried to pick up the direction of the scent. He picked up his pace as he tried to follow it. What was it? It was driving him crazy. He felt a strange feeling with every whiff. He had no way to describe the feeling, he just kept running as he tried to find the origin of the scent. He knew he could find it. It felt so close but every hill he dashed over, just revealed three more in the distance. He was long gone from the field but he didn't care. His mind was set on something and he was going to find it.

The smell made him feel…strange. He hadn't felt this way in a long time and he wasn't sure he liked it. It was a comforting feeling, a feeling of purpose, of happiness. A feeling of hope. He really didn't like it now. He had to find whatever it was that originated the scent. But what then? He had to get rid of this feeling. He had to, it was tearing him apart.

Whatever it was he was chasing was a cure for his disease that had granted him with the strong and free life he now lived. He had to get rid of that cure. It smelt pure but also a bit misled. He could have sworn he heard something like a whisper on the wind. 'We'll fight no more.'

'Well this isn't good.' Kopa thought. He had to fight. It was how he was still alive. He had to fight to survive. He had to find whatever was causing such a potent smell and destroy it.

He soon stopped as another image flew across his vision. This time, he could feel what he was seeing. He stayed reclined but felt the body underneath his head move a little. He leaned forward a bit to make it easier for the being he was currently using as a pillow to adjust. And there it was again, the smell. He flashed back to reality. He quickly shook his head as if the image was dust that had rested on his shoulders and he was trying to get it off. He continued running and came to another small grassy patch

The smell was getting more and more faint. He was losing it. 'No!' He screamed in his head in between the huffs he was making as he was running. 'I can't lose it. I must find it!' But it was no use, the smell was gone. He stopped and let out a furious roar.

He lost it, he failed. His new superior self had failed him for the first time. He was feeding on something brave but now he felt weak. 'How could this have happened!' He thought. He drew out his claws and threw them into his head. "ARRRAGGGHH!" He screamed out with another roar. He ran his claws down his head, making cuts in his own skin.

He threw his paws down on the ground, panting heavily. "How could I lose it!" He said out loud. It was the first time he had spoken out loud in a while, rather than just in his head, and he noticed how different and hollow his angry voice sounded. But this was no time to reflect on personal traits. He threw his head from side to side hoping to see something that might give him a lead.

"She was to save me. She could see me underneath all of this!" He found himself say. She? "She would save me." He had no idea what he was talking about. He was following a scent not a living creature. He let out another roar. It was as if the roles were switched. The cold dark Kopa was now in the passenger seat idly watching what was going on with his body and apparently his speech, but that didn't last long. 'I have to destroy it.' He said back in his head. He was back to the Kopa that the Outland had formed.

He was calm again, running on instinct. He calmly elevated his nose into the air and sniffed around for a bit. He recaptured the scent. He began running off again.

He blocked out everything that wasn't necessary to find his target. A strange darkness surrounded him and he could only see what he was focused on. He smelt the scent he knew all too well, even if he couldn't identify it. It was like Kopa sat back and watched as his body performed the deed. He wasn't sending any signal to his body, it was running completely on instinct, doing its own thing. He stopped and crouched down. His focus was on an object not too far from him. It was right behind this tall grass he was hiding behind. He leaned forward slightly, ready to pounce. He felt his legs spring up as he dove over the grass between him and the nothing that he was attacking. The area was completely vacant.

He sniffed around for a bit. This was definitely where the scent originated from and seeing the grass that was pressed down, he could tell something was lying there recently. But it must have been long gone because nothing was in sight. He ran around the field but couldn't see any sign of life other than the nearly dead grass. He found the origin of the scent, but not what he was looking for.

He stopped and dismissed it. He didn't care. He figured, the thing was gone so he had no reason to worry about it. He laid down in the same spot as the disturbed grass and plopped his head down. Tired from the events of the day, he decided to take a quick breather.


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note:**

I had actually finished this chapter about two days after I posted Chapter 16 but I figured I'd give some time before posting it. So, now that I'm back from my trip to Chicago (U2 was amazing!) But don't think that since I finished this one so quickly, it'll be bad. This is actually a very good chapter and I'm glad how everything came together once again.

I could have gone more indepth but after looking back at some of my chapters, I've noticed how short and shallow some of these chapters are. So maybe in a good long while I'll revamp and repost this story with more juice and details. Maybe. But as of now, it's coming to a close which I'm happy with where it's at right now so...yeah.

Also, I've received less and less reviews lately. I hope you all are still interested. But as of now,

Read, review and enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 17: One Last Time

Trying to keep his body as close to the ground as possible, Kopa crept through the dead grass. His nostrils flared with the scent of his prey but he had to be patient. His demonic eyes were dead set on the wildebeest a few meters away. He waited for it to turn just enough to be completely facing the other day and when he did, he pounced.

He only took a few short dashes before he lay on top of the animal and was ripping chunks out of its neck. The solid food was something his stomach ached for a long time. He moved down to its abdomen and tore open its stomach. He found the wildebeest had worms in its intestines and came close to ignoring them, thinking they would add flavor, but he finally decided to avoid that part of the animal. He ate until he was completely full; a feeling he had not felt in a while.

He sat there next to the dead beast for a while, watching and making sure nothing tried to swipe his meal. He soon felt a warm liquid on his back which gave him a small jump. He slowly got up and found a small puddle of blood forming from his recently acquired dinner. Before moving to a different spot, something caught his eye. It was his reflection. He had forgotten how he looked so he decided to gaze into the red liquid as a mirror. What he saw was not what he was expecting.

His face was so dark, he could hardly see any other features other than the outline of his head. He didn't know if it was the blood or if his eyes were actually that red, but they looked like pure red dots. Kopa looked a bit closer and saw a few cuts on his muzzle. His nose still had dried blood on it from his fight with the rogue a few days ago.

After a while, he became disinterested with the sight and moved to recline on the other side of the killed animal so he won't worry about more blood running onto his fur. He let out an obnoxious yawn that also held a small roar. 'What to do, what to do.' He thought. He just laid there for a bit before getting up to walk around. If anything decided to come and try and take his dead carcass of a prize, he could easily just kill it so he wasn't too worried about leaving his post.

He knew this was the same field he and Anput had called home many years back but it seemed a bit foreign. He felt like he just conquered a new land after he killed the rogue so a bit of exploring was probably for the better.

As he kept walking, he couldn't shake the feeling that something here wasn't right. He began to take every step with caution as he prowled around. He could sense a storm coming, but that wasn't what the irksome feeling he was picking up. Without even the slightest sign of anything actually going on behind him, he quickly spun around to check his six, then back to his twelve. Why was he so uptight? He felt like it wasn't a creature that his senses were picking up, but an event. Something was about to happen.

He became paranoid, constantly turning to see if anything was changing but he always found nothing. Then, it was all calm. The wind from the approaching storm died down and the temperature oddly had no feeling. "I see you."

Kopa let out an intimidating growl but he couldn't see anyone. He slowly turned around in a complete circle a few times but still found no sign the origin of the voice.

He soon heard it again, but this time, it was laughing. "What? You think you can see me? No." The voice was cold, dark, and unfamiliar. He's heard voices in his head before but he knew they were only memories from familiar voices but this was as if it was an actual person.

"Show yourself." Kopa said quietly in amongst a growl. The sound of his voice still threw him off as he rarely heard himself speak.

"Oh, I have. For quite some time now."

Kopa continued to spin around, waiting and searching for something but he never even picked up a scent.

"I am the face you hold inside your head." The voice continued.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Kopa growled again.

The voice let out a few demonic cackles before speaking again. "I see everything. I've been watching you for a while now and I have to say, I'm impressed." Kopa continued to growl. "I watch when you kill. Let me add, it's real cute the way you give yourself small praises every once in a while. It's humoring. I laugh when you fall," the voice threw on a proud voice before switching to a fake sad one, "and cry when you win. I have read all the memories you've suppressed, and quite honestly, the book is getting a bit dry." The voice sounded dark yet comical. Like a sick and twisted clown.

"What are you talking about? Who are you?" Kopa asked aloud.

"I've already told you. I'm you."

For a moment, Kopa's eyes grew but they quickly shrunk back to normal as he tried to keep his composure. "Stop lying to me." He spun around again and saw a blip of a figure. It was pitch black with no features, like a shadow with devilish red eyes. But as soon as he saw it, it was gone.

The voice began to laugh again. Every time, it sent chills down Kopa's spine. "Ahhh….You have no idea. What do you think has driven you to be the beast you are now? It all has finally gotten to you. You are insane."

"No." Kopa muttered with a hint of fear.

"But let's get back to the subject at hand. You've suppressed a lot. And what's even more…interesting, is you actually managed to forget what you've been suppressing. You've run from it for so long, it can't keep up."

"Quit toying with me."

"Let's see, let's see….You were a prince, destined to be king." Kopa stood there motionless, taking in what was being said to him without emotion. The voice continued. "The Pridelands was your home. Simba was your father and Nala was your mother. Mheetu was the closest thing you had to a sibling and you greatly looked up to him." Nothing was clicking to Kopa. "You got attacked by someone you thought was a friend." The voice giggled a bit. "You have no idea who did it. You saw your attacker but somewhere in your subconscious, it was lost when you blacked out." There was the fake sad tone coming from the demon voice. "You had a promise with a pretty little lioness. Does the name Vitani ring a bell?"

Suddenly, Kopa snapped up a bit. "Vitani." He whispered.

"Ahh, so now we get to him. Well, I hate to disappoint you but she's dead."

"Wh-what?" For the first time in a while, Kopa was feeling weak and when the voice said that, a shade of hopelessness overcame him.

"Yup. She's dead like the rest of your pride. Your mother, your father, your dear old Mheetu. To you, they're all dead."

Kopa tried to throw away these thoughts. "Since when?" He said angrily.

"Since you've stepped out in this decrepit wasteland. Oh and that fool Malki was just stalling you. 'Don't stray this' and 'keep your sanity that.' But obviously you didn't listen. Well he's dead too. Haha, and need I even mention that cute little jackal that never left your side for a good year or so a long ways back?"

"Stop it." Kopa sheepishly demanded.

"I can't do that. Not yet."

"Then when!" He shouted in rage.

There was a short pause before the voice picked up again. "My my, such fury. How about when you finally lose yourself. Come on buddy, you're almost there. Just step over the edge."

Kopa could see it; he was standing on the ledge of a huge ravine, deeper than any he's seen. One paw was already raised ready to take the next step to oblivion. But he soon replaced it back next to his other feet. "No."

He was rushed back to the field. The storm was getting closer and closer and lightning was already cracking loud and bright as they came closer to his position.

"No? Well don't worry, you will eventually."

A sinister grin grew on Kopa's face. "What makes you so sure?"

"The light has already abandoned you. There is no hope. Now I'd advise you find some shelter, that storm looks pretty bad."

He couldn't tell if the last statement was sarcasm or an actual suggestion but it did make him think of something. "I think I'll stay for the show."

"Like to stay in tuned with nature do you?" Kopa didn't respond. Instead, a bolt of lightning struck nearby. He could feel the ground shake as he was temporarily blinded and deafened. The strike caused the overly dead field to ignite like fuel. "I would suggest leaving." The voice ushered.

"You came at a bad time didn't you?" Kopa said menacingly. If this was what he was going to be facing for the rest of his life, he might as well end it there. He thought for a moment of all his forgotten memories, his mother, his father, his friends, Vitani. He stood there, watching as the fire circled him. The heat became unbearable as the ground around him burned away. He began to feel lightheaded and faint. One final smile came upon his face. "So long."

*o*

Everything was white. The land around him slowly faded to visible sights. He was in a deep forest and his paw rested on a familiar pedestal. There were stone structures all around and moving in and out of the structures were familiar looking transparent residents. "I've been here before." He wandered around, remembering everything. This strange place where the forest resided, he'd been here twice, once in a dream and once….

He came up to a large well. The ghostlike beings would again ignore Kopa's presence and take water out of the well. He looked into it and saw his reflection. He took a long look at himself and saw how dirty he was. Mud and dirt were caught in chunks in his mane and brown and red splotches covered his face. He saw some blood stained on the fur around his muzzle. He quickly looked around, why he didn't know, but soon leapt into the well to bathe.

The water felt soothing to him, cleansing almost. He splashed around to try and get all the dirt and blood that was so heavily stained on his fur. He smiled a bit as the thought crossed his mind about how he must look like a little cub playing in the water. He ran his paws down his fur, cutting unnecessary clumps with his claws when he came across them. At one point, he felt his paw rub against the strange almost stringy kind of skin that was made into a huge scar on his stomach. He had forgotten about that too. It was the whole reason his life ended the way it did. The whole reason he was turned to the Outlands and turned into the lion he was now…or then. It didn't matter to him though, it was all finished.

After a while, he felt that he had cleaned himself up pretty good so he hopped out of the well and shook off. He waited for a bit for the water to steady so he could inspect his cleanliness. His face had the golden tint that he remembered, one that his father had and he figured his father before him had. His mane was quite thick and held a healthy brown-red color. It wasn't as red as he remembered his father's was but it seemed to fit him. His face was a bit worn with a few cuts but after he cleaned them and washed them, they didn't seem as big. His expression was that of strength and perseverance. He was strong and was able to push through the hard times and in the end do, what he figured, was the right thing. This was who he was.

He ended his gaze and headed out of the bustling forest citadel. He began to approach the forest line where he remembered a large beach stood. He strolled up to the beach and sat down gently, looking out at the large body of water. He couldn't help but think he wouldn't be too disappointed to stay there for eternity. He figured that was what was going to happen anyway but the only thing he wished was that there would be someone next to him. A certain someone to be exact.

He let out a sigh and dropped his head. As he did so, he caught something out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head down the beach to see a younger him walking cautiously toward him. He remembered being the Kopa he was watching now and knew he hadn't seen himself yet. Hastily, Kopa dashed back to the woods with a playful grin. He was going to surprise himself. "I'm gunna scare the shit out of myself." He laughed to himself. He came across a bush and sat waiting.

Why he was so giddy? He had no idea. He thought it weird but for the first time in a while, he felt happy. He felt normal. And even stranger, he felt like himself. A feeling that he thought died long ago. The younger Kopa came up to the area and stopped for a bit. He figured this would be the best time to make his approach. His superior hunting skills must have paid off because the younger Kopa didn't even hear him approach. When he was in position, he sat behind his younger self as he stared vacantly into the forest.

"What the hell am I supposed to do?" He said.

A large grin was plastered on Kopa's face as he figured now would be the best time to reveal himself. "Good question." He said, being the first response he could think of.

The younger Kopa spun around so quickly, he seemed like a blur for a short moment. But his reaction wasn't that of fear but of surprise, then acceptance. "Yup. Insane." He said as if concluding a previous statement.

Kopa still found his reaction peculiarly funny. Not only that, he found it quite the ironic statement after what he just went through back in the Outlands. "You're not insane." He told himself.

"Then what am I doing talking to you, or me, or whatever?" He asked a bit skeptical.

Kopa thought for a quick moment but he really had no answer for him. "I don't know. I remember thinking the same thing."

His younger self tilted his head a bit and squinted in confusion. "Wait, what?"

Kopa couldn't help but laugh. He found great humor in his own confusion. "Come with me." He said figuring he should bring himself back to reality just in case this place had a time limit and his younger self would be stuck here.

As he was walking, he began to feel an intense heat but he shook it off as nothing and kept walking. The heat didn't go away and he soon felt something clamp onto his tail, but strangely enough, there wasn't any pain. The heat and the feeling on his tail quickly faded into nothing but his younger self must have taken notice at the phenomenon. "Kopa! Your tail!"

He stopped and turned his head back, swung his tail forward and looked at what he was yelling at himself about. There was the imprint of bite marks on his tail and it was bleeding slightly. "Oh. Well would you look at that." He said in response to the fact that he was right and there actually was something going on with his tail. But the feeling was still gone so he figured it was nothing. Besides, what more could be done to him? "See, here, nothing really matters. If it doesn't hurt, it….doesn't hurt." He responded trying to find the right words. He figured that probably didn't help in the explanation and actions were better than words anyway. He quickly grabbed a tree branch and swung it at himself. It hit him square in the face.

"Ouh! What'd you do that?" He yelped.

Kopa couldn't help but smile. "Why'd you say 'ouh?'"

"I… I don't know really."

"See?" He figured his younger self just experienced the same occurrence where he didn't feel any pain.

"I guess. But why? Where exactly are we? And where are we going?"

"So many questions! Was I really like this back then?" Said Kopa in more of a comedic way than an annoyed one. It was clear he found humor in his own misunderstanding.

"Apparently." Kopa let out a small chuckle at that statement.

"Why? I don't know. Where are we? I still don't know. Where are we going?... You'll see…." He answered the first two questions bluntly, then turned to a more suspenseful tone for the last answer.

"How do you not know? You've obviously been here before unless you're just taking me on some romantic trot through the woods of mystery."

Kopa laughed inside his head as he still couldn't get a hold of how much of a smart-ass he must have been. He didn't remember being that bad. "Well you've been here too, have you not? And you don't know where we are."

"I guess…" His younger companion said acceptingly. "So then, where are we going?"

"Here." Kopa said as he pulled away a branch that was obstructing their view. They came across the citadel that he knew was his young self's departure point and his last arrival point. He also figured that his younger self was seeing things completely differently. He saw a busy and alive settlement with what seemed like brand new stone structures. But he remembered the sight from when he switched roles with the cub and knew he was seeing a vacant and abandoned set of ruins. He walked over to the small pedestal that seemed to have a much smaller paw print indentation than he remembered from just a few moment ago when he arrived. It must be for his younger self. "Over here." The younger Kopa walked up to it and stood on the other end of it, staring down at the stone. "I think you know what to do."

He looked up to himself. "I still don't get it."

"Same here kid. Same here."

He felt a bit awkward as the younger Kopa was staring at him for a bit but he figured he was just trying to work everything out and he couldn't blame him. This was very strange and he didn't even know what was going on. The only thing that kept him calm was that this was his third time in the strange foreign place. The younger Kopa soon changed expressions slightly as if he saw another oddity but it quickly changed back to normal.

"Well, go on." Kopa urged and on his command, the younger Kopa gently placed his paw on the stone. "Oh and one more thing. This time, it wasn't a dream. See ya!" He quickly said before his younger self twisted around and morphed to a small singularity and then vanished. It was weird seeing the event from a different perspective. But it soon hit him that he was alone again. He felt good just to have some companionship for a moment. He let out a sigh.

But then something caught his attention as he saw something fall right in front of his eye and run down his muzzle. He couldn't feel it as he had already established and looked up to see what looked like blood dripping down on his face. 'How long has this been going on?' He thought to himself. He learned to quickly dismiss all the weird things that was going on in this place and walked away. He dipped his head back in the well to clean off the fresh dripping blood and then continued deeper in the forest.

As he delved farther and farther into the forest, the canopy thinned and the trees became more and more scarce. He continued to walk until the forest disappeared and before him laid miles of desert. He was a bit hesitant to continue, not wanting to wind up in a desert and quite honestly sick of the sight, but he felt that that's where he needed to be heading.

The ground felt more like solid rock than the sand that it so resembled. He stood on top of a dune and looked around. Beyond the tree line that was the forest that he originated from, there was the beach. As his eyes ran down the beach, he saw the cliff that was hiding the first set of ruins from his sight. He looked farther and the cliffs never subsided. The land seemed to curve as if it was encircling him. He looked to the other side of the beach and saw a set of mountains that ran from the shoreline all the way to the other side of his vision where it met the cliff, making a complete 360 enclosure. "What the hell is this place?" He inquisitively stated.

The wind began to pick up and he turned back to where he was originally heading. It was desert for as far as he could see. "Keep moving." He heard a calm yet rushed voice say. It was as if it was said through the clouds and echoed through the desert. It was different than the dark voice he heard back in the Outlands. This voice was not his. It rang in his ears with a beautiful, strong tone. Suddenly, he felt the immense heat he felt when he first entered the forest. This time it was worse than before but thrown in the mix was an aching feeling from all his muscles. It soon subsided leaving Kopa in utter confusion.

He looked around with wide eyes for a moment hoping to see an answer somewhere but failed to do so. Still a bit frightened at what he had no idea was going on, he decided to continue on. He had a strange feeling in his gut that he could keep moving like the voice said. That he should continue into the desert. He hated the idea but did so anyway.

He must have been walking for hours but strangely enough, he was not feeling any fatigue. He was not getting hungry, thirsty, hot, or tired. He felt as if nothing was wrong. The land around him began to look oddly familiar as he continued his trek. He walked past a dead tree next to a tiny dirty pond that he swore he has seen before. He came across a small hole in the ground that also looked unusually familiar. It wasn't until a while later that he came across a field in the desert. "Now I know I've been here." He said recognizing it immediately.

He quickly had a surge of energy as he ran around looking for remnants of a life he once knew. "Anput?" He called out without an answer back. "Malki?" He tried but still received nothing. The little bit of excitement that overcame him was gone as he realized the field was completely vacant. He didn't even see any animals grazing. The sight depressed him. He continued walking, not wanting to relive the place if there was nothing there for him. He took a different direction and began to run. He was tired of seeing all this, he just wanted to hurry and get where he was to go.

Hours must have passed and his pace hadn't slowed one bit. His breathing hardly even increased through the time. It seemed as if he was exceeding his physical limits because he knew all of this was impossible. He soon came across strange looking dirt mounds that too were deserted. The small caves that ran through them seemed like a decent place to live if he ever came across them earlier in his life. But he wasn't looking for a place to stay. Quite honestly, he didn't know what he was looking for but he knew this wasn't it.

He continued running and a few hours later, the ground started to get soft. It was strange but throughout the entire time he was there, the sun never even budged. It was stationary up above. "You can make it!" He heard the voice call to the land again. It was loud enough to be heard for miles but it seemed like it was directed to him. He could tell it was the same voice but it sounded more worried, and scared. Suddenly, another strange feeling overcame him. This time it wasn't heat but it was an amplified aching that he felt the last time. It became unbearable as he collapsed onto the ground. He felt a warm liquid trickle down onto his muzzle but he was paralyzed. He couldn't move a muscle as he lie there motionlessly. He felt something lightly rest on his upper chest. It was warm and soothing and made him feel good.

The feeling quickly vanished as a sharp pain engulfed his body. He became dizzy as everything started spinning and his vision soon resembled looking down a dark tunnel. The pain subsided to numbness. He laid there on the ground, staring mindlessly at the sky in a heavy trance. He couldn't feel anything, couldn't move anything, couldn't see hear or smell anything. He couldn't even think. His mind was lost in oblivion.

He got a feeling that everything was going to change. That he would be taken away from this strange place. He still had no idea what it was, where it was, why he was there or what it meant but somehow, he accepted that he would never know. He succumbed to what was going on and finally slipped away.

"Kopa?"


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's Note:**

It's coming to a close.

A lot of stuff going on in this chapter but it's a good one with one last climax. Other than that, not much to say for this chapter (surprisingly enough) so I'll just let you all get on with reading it. :D

Read, Review, and ENJOY!

* * *

Chapter 18: Redemption

It all led up to this. The two fronts were lined up facing each other. Zira and the lionesses from the Outlands were on one side with Simba and the Prideland's lionesses on the other. At first they slowly strutted toward each other. Soon, their walks quickened their pace and not long after that, the two lines were at a full sprint.

For Vitani, it was strange how quick everything had happened. Nuka was gone and Zira didn't even seem to care. Kovu ran away and Zira began to blame him. She has been so different. In her dead sprint, Vitani let out an amused huff. 'Wonder what that makes me.' She thought, realizing she was the only one who has stayed with her. Her mind was quickly redirected, wondering if what she was doing was right, but she focused again on the battle that was to ensue as the two charging lines collided with full force.

It was a mass Charlie Foxtrot of lionesses tearing each other part. Vitani got a hold of a Pridelander's tail and tugged on it hard. The lionesses let out a loud shriek which seemed to call only more Outlanders who dove on the lionesses and began tearing at her flesh. Vitani let go and stood tall and proud before moving onto another lioness.

Zira was yelling things from a distance somewhat cheering them on but Vitani was too focused to take in what she was saying. At one point, she was tackled and had a Pridelander going for her neck. One of her Outland companions came and tackled the Pridelander off of her. It happened so quick, she couldn't identify her rescuer. But it didn't matter because she quickly moved on.

She came up on a tall protruding rock to look down for another target. A sinister grin lit her face as she saw Nala down below. Why she was so anxious to get a hold of her, she didn't know. For a while she has had such a hatred toward Simba and Nala but she didn't know why. Maybe she somehow deep down was blaming them for what happened to her and her family and to Kopa but she didn't dwell on it. She moved forward and called out to her.

"Where's your pretty daughter Nala?" She sneered, again making reference to who she would be if Kopa was still with them all.

"Vitani!" She shouted back, signaling Vitani to pounce. She dove from the high rise and landed right on Nala, sending them both into a roll which to Vitani's surprise ended with Nala on top. "Nice try." She taunted. Vitani rebuked by kicking her off. As soon as she stood up again however, she was pinned down by another Pridelander, obviously trying to protect the queen. Vitani quickly left a slash across the lioness's face which gave her enough time to get back on her feet. She retaliated by diving on the lioness and gnawing at her neck.

But soon enough, a soft but low roar was heard causing everyone, Pridelander and Outlander to stop their quarrels and watch as Zira somehow managed to strike Simba down. Everyone stopped and turned to watch their fight play out.

The two starred each other down. Simba stood his ground, squinting his eyes and watched as Zira moved around in front of him. They both waited for the other to make the first move as they began to circle each other. The two soon lost their patience and raised a paw to strike the other down but before they could move any further, Kovu and Kiara dove in between them as lightning flashed through the sky.

'Great, now this little princess bitch is getting in the way.' Vitani thought to herself as Kiara and Kovu began to try and convince their parents to stand down. Vitani didn't quite care for the soft, caring, preacher crap so she zoned out for most of the two's speech.

'This sounds just like Malki's _soft and cuddly_ life lessons.' She thought, just being spiteful because of the moment. 'Malki….' She let her mind drift off the scene in front of her dissolved. 'He was my father. He was just trying to help…. To not live in a world of hate…' She let out an internal chuckle. 'Easier said than done.'

Finally, Vitani snapped back to what was going on just as she heard Kiara. "They are us! What differences do you see?"

For some reason, these words hit Vitani hard. It took a while for them to sink in but when she did, she looked upon Simba and saw an old familiar face. 'Kopa.' She thought. He was Simba's son, Nala's son. He would be on the other side of the line, fighting her and her family. She figured he probably wouldn't look that different than Simba except with a darker mane and that's when she realized, she was fighting Kopa. Her eyes bulged in the realization and she raised her head up to amplify her reaction. The strange hate she was feeling toward Simba and Nala was gone, and just like Malki said, she realized hate wasn't what should control her.

She could see Simba give in to his daughter's plea. She looked over at Zira, hoping that she would have a similar reaction but she was just as unfazed as ever. "Vitani, now!" She ordered.

"No, mother." Vitani called back. She looked back at Kovu and Kiara, for a quick glance saw them as they were a few years back when she showed Kovu where they could meet for their little play dates. They were just like herself and Kopa. She dropped her head a bit. "Kiara's right." She slowly walked up next to her brother. "Enough."

The other lionesses were taken back and confused. They looked toward Zira for her next move. What they saw was pure hate in her eyes. "If you will not fight, then you will die as well." She said low and spitefully. The other lionesses were even more taken back with this statement. She was her daughter and she was willing to kill her? Only evil will turn a mother against her child in such a way and the Outlanders knew this at this point. They turned their backs on Zira and moved over next to Vitani.

"Wha-? Where are you going?" She barked, somehow surprised that that would be their reaction. "Get back here!"

"Let it go Zira. It's time to put the past behind us." Simba said, offering to end it all here and accept her again as a member of his pride, even forgiving her for killing his son, if only should would accept the offer.

But of course, she was too proud to do so. "I will never let it go! This is for you…Scar!" She said before launching into a pounce. She was about halfway to Simba when Kiara dove at her and blindsided her, sending them both toward the ravine.

A couple tumbles and shouts later, Zira was hanging from a ledge, just below of Kiara. The adrenaline running through them was enough to subside any pain or injuries they sustained on the fall. Kiara was able to shimmy her body up to the top of a small protrusion and was able to stand safely. Zira on the other hand was dangling with her claws dug into the rock, clinging for dear life. She began to slip a bit but managed to push her claws even deeper into the rock. She felt them pry at her fingertips as they tries to support her weight. Blood began to seep from underneath her claws.

A large crackle was heard and the nearby dam broke sending debris of timber and rushing water down the ravine. A look of fear overcame Zira. Kiara looked over to the ledge to see what came of her and fortunately found her still hanging on. She outstretched a paw to her aid. "Zira, give me your paw." But she was reluctant to receive help from her enemy even at the hands of death. She swiped a paw at her in an attempt to bring her down as well but Kiara saw this and retracted it, only to reach out again and offer help. "Zira, come on." She pleaded desperately. "I'll help you."

Zira looked down at the river as she continued to lose her grip and slip down the cliff side slowly. She looked back at Kiara with another look of fear. She was beginning to consider her offer. She began to slip further down the slope in a failing attempt to get better hold on the rocks. She finally felt her paws give and everything seemed to freeze.

'This was it.' She thought. 'I've failed you Scar.' She began to plummet down into the raging river below, letting out a scream as she went. As she hit the water, she was brought back to the moment of her brother's death.

Her tiny body hit the shallower river as the rogue looked over her. "You're lucky you're a cub…" He said with words that forever left a mark on the lioness. She was sent to a time when she was with Scar. "I… can't….It's eating me away!" He shouted in hysteria. His voice softened but his heavy breathing continued. "Murder….it's a parasite. Eating away at you the longer it lingers over you…." Next she was standing underneath her favorite tree back in the Pridelands, looking down at her paw that was covered in blood as Simba was yelling threats at her. She then was at the Termite Mounds, watching as her companions laughed and joked around with the dead body of her mate. He was there for her and their children but she just heartlessly ordered his death. Now she was back in the ravine, sinking to the bottom of a river. She stretched out a paw for an unstable thought of being rescued. She felt it breach the surface but soon enough she was dragged under. She was gone.

Kiara sat on the ledge in complete shock at the sight of her death. Kovu stood on top and let out a heavy sigh for his mother. Vitani ran over to the ledge to see what came of it all and only saw Kovu with a tear run down the rivet of his scar on his eye. That was all that was needed to be done for her to understand the fate of their mother.

*o*

"How you fairing?" Kovu said as he approached his sister with Kiara by his side. Vitani was lounging on a rock with her head down low. She raised her eyes to look at him but didn't respond. "It'll be okay."

"I know." She said calmly but with a bit of a raspy tone. "It's just…." She looked over Kiara and Kovu and how since she has been with them in the Pridelands for the past few days to a couple weeks, they have been inseparable. "It'll be different." She said trying to change her mood and train of thought as she put on a fake but reassuring smile.

"I know. But for the better."

"Yeah."

"Well if you ever need anything," Kiara began to say but felt like she got the point across without saying any more so she left it at that. Vitani rolled her eyes. She still had it hard to accept the little prissy princess was to be her sister. The two walked off to let Vitani wallow on her own and as they did, she noticed their tails were intertwined.

She let out a depressed sigh and got up and began to walk away. She ended up at the edge of the Pridelands but didn't feel like stopping. She just felt like going somewhere, anywhere, just to sort some things out. Just one of those spontaneous events. She continued on.

Night soon fell and she still didn't feel like stopping. She was well into the Outlands by now. At one point she felt like she should stop and rest, not out of exhaustion but because she didn't have much to do. It wasn't long after she laid down her head that she heard a storm stirring at a distance. The lightning and thunder cackled loudly. She figured it was best not to stop without any shelter if the storm was approaching so she continued on.

She thought about going back to the Pridelands but something was telling her to go toward the storm. It was less than a feeling; more like a strange desire. Maybe she felt the storm would help suit the tone for her current mood. She knew she had been gone for a few days but if anyone got worried at all, she knew Kovu would reassure them that she was fine.

"What are you doing?" She asked herself aloud. She felt like a weakling going off on her own to sulk just to console herself. Just when she was about to turn back around, deciding to head back for the same reason she came out this far into the Outlands to begin with (no reason at all) she heard an extremely loud crash of thunder. She turned around on instinct and was surprised to see what looked like a field in the distance. She never saw any form of life in the Outlands other than the other lionesses. Now the only thing that propelled her to continue toward it was curiosity.

As she got closer, she found that the field was deader than she thought but she was still surprised to find such a secluded field in the Outlands. It looked like it would have hosted a few grazers at some point. "If only I would have found this place…" She said to herself out loud again, thinking of the many times she went hungry at the Termite Mounds. Again, the storm in the distance crashed with might. She got a bit startled on how close it sounded and how fast it was moving. 'Should probably get out of here.' She assumed, this time not articulating her thoughts.

But as if her thoughts were just a taunt to an ill-humored fate, lightning suddenly struck the dry field nearby. She saw smoke rising over a hill and ran to the top to check it out. As she neared the top, she could already feel the heat rising. To her shock, the fire had spread quite quickly. It ran through the field like the wind. Just when she was about to turn around and head out back to the dry barren part of the Outlands, a place that was sure to be safe from the fire, she saw something.

Her head swiveled in that direction and she squinted her eyes to make out the small figure down in the inferno. It looked like a lion, swaying from side to side as the flames consumed it. Finally its consciousness must have vanished because after a few more stumbles, it fell flat on the ground motionless. "Shit." Vitani mumbled as she dashed down the hill into the fire.

It wasn't something that was expected of her to do, rescue a stranger at the risk of her own life, but she never was in that situation before. It came as instinct to save someone as it would with any other being. As she moved into the fire, her fur began to singe at the intense heat. A gust of wind blew some high flames and embers in her face but she halted and cringed, ready for them. As they blew past her, she kept running.

She took a few seconds to turn her head back toward her entrance and found it was already consumed by fire. She was in too deep, trapped and almost sure she would burn, but she kept on moving. She saw the dark figure lying motionlessly on the ground. She approached it

As she got closer, she could see that it was a lion; a full grown male, apparent by its heavy brown mane. Vitani, with a bit of panic in her, acted quickly. She looked around with the false hope of finding immediate shelter but there was nothing but fire and very few burning trees. She quickened her pace and leapt over some flames to get to the body. She looked it over and saw how beaten up the thing was, just by the flickering light of the nearby flames. Another wind came up and blew some fire onto the two lions. Vitani quickly shook it off but a few embers landed on the body in front of her. She quickly brushed them off to avoid much damage.

It was obvious the lion was pretty big and she'd have trouble moving it on her own but she had to try. She stared a bit longer, contemplating her next move but as she did so, she saw a trail of fire headed straight for the downed lion. She quickly grabbed its tail in her jaw and began to drag it out of the way. Her nervousness must have been more than she expected because the clamp of her jaw was so strong, she felt blood drip onto her teeth and tongue as she pulled the heavy lion from its back appendage. She managed to get the lion out of the way of the approaching flame but the heat was becoming unbearable. She had to get out of there quick or else she would end up just like the lion she was dragging.

She came up to the side of the animal and squeezed her head underneath it. Once it was on her shoulders, she hoisted her upper body up and flung the limb beast onto her back. He was much heavier that she expected but she knew she was strong and could at least get them to safety.

She was managing to move pretty swiftly for having the full weight of an adult lion on her back but she still was nowhere close to the end of the inferno engulfed field. The cackles and breaks of the fire was constantly ringing in her ears. But soon, another sound came to her ears, the sound of hoof prints. She looked around, hoping that some animal would at least help her but what she found was a stray antelope, galloping frantically through the burning field trying to do the same, get to safety. It however was blind with panic and as it came over a hill, it hardly noticed Vitani and jumped over her to avoid a collision. Sadly for Vitani, its hoof came up and scraped her in the face, causing her to fall to the ground with a cut across her muzzle and making the lion slide off her back. She slowly got up from the scuffing and went to continue on. But something caught her eye when she came up on the lion again. A scar.

The lion had more of its belly showing with its limp legs dangling and resting over it. Vitani cautiously lifted up one of its legs to see a huge scar cut as a gash across the lion's midsection. It was too much of a coincidence for any other lion to have a scar like that in a place like that. She took a good look at the lion's face. How did she not see it before? What she saw was the sleeping face of a lion she once knew and would never forget. "Kopa." She said in more shook than anything else as her eyes widened, fearful of the fate that was doomed between them two, unless she could get them out.

A small smile cracked on her face as she leaned closer to the beast's face. She saw again how beaten up he was. He looked worse than she did living at the Termite Mounds. She continued to stare endlessly at the lion until she snapped out of her trance by noticing the small droplets of blood that was running down her muzzle from the scrape of the antelope's hoof and onto Kopa's face.

She positioned herself underneath Kopa again, just as she did before, and hoisted him onto her back. She continued to move frantically through the fire. The wind was picking up as she felt the flames move faster and travel higher. "Keep moving." She mumbled to herself for self-motivation. And that's exactly what she kept doing. She kept moving.

She knew she must have been approaching the end of the field because she had been running for quite some time. Longer than when she entered the field to the start of the fire but she had been moving considerably slower this time around, taking account of the extra baggage. But her focus on getting out of there was limiting her focus on her footing and she soon stepped on a red hot ember covered log. She shouted and shifted her weight, causing Kopa to fall again. This time much harder and onto a few rocks. He ended up making half a roll as he collided with the ground and Vitani knew this must have been painful, but he was already unconscious so he would most likely be fine. She scooped him up for a third time and continued on her trek.

Finally, she approached the edge of the field. She blasted through a final wall of fire that bordered the grassy prairie and the barren Outlands. A few paces past, she stopped and turned to look at the field. The fires were rising to the sky and the field was completely consumed. The darkened sky made an ominous backdrop to the sight as the crashes and flashes of the thunder and lightning made the hell all more frightening.

With Kopa still on her back, Vitani turned to head back to the Pridelands. She knew he needed all the attention he could get if he was going to live. She still didn't even know if he was still alive or just a dead limp body that was resting on her back. She let out a sorrowful cringe as she thought of him being long gone with his body only remaining. But she focused back on the task at hand. She didn't want to think of that just yet. She had to get him somewhere.

She began to run. She ran with speeds she didn't even know she could manage with such a weight but that last thought of Kopa dying or already being dead had made her blood pumo faster and her adrenaline flow freely. She didn't care how hard it was or how much of the her limits she was pushing, she had to get them back to the Pridelands. She ran through the Outlands, which had cooled significantly since before she found Kopa due to the storm, and continued to run without any regard of her physical wellbeing.

She moved as quick as she could, as if a race between time, but that wasn't quick enough. The Pridelands was a long ways away and it took days to get there without a body on her back. She quickly thought of the one creature that would be able to help Kopa with his wounds and was lucky she still remembered where he lived. She changed her direction and headed to Rafiki's tree.

She came past the Termite Mounds but didn't stop. She blew past that like it was a part of her life she didn't want to reminisce about. She came up upon a small dirty pond that she and Nuka would play in when Kovu was still a young newborn. She ran past that too without a second thought. She also came up to a small rock protruding out of the dirt. She remembered spending her first night in the Outlands by that rock as it gave a poor excuse for shelter as the desert wind was blowing on her, her mother and her brothers. She never stopped. She continued on until, hours later, she saw a large tree off in the distance.

Her pace quickened as she again motivated herself out loud; this time a bit more hastily. "You can make it!" She shouted. But once again, fate was laughing at her because completely hidden by the seemingly level landscape and the dimness of night, she mindlessly ran right off a ledge. She tumbled down hard as Kopa was flung from her back. The two rolled down the hill, Vitani being conscious managed to soften her stumble but Kopa was not as lucky. The rocks and roots were being caught in his fur and left obvious bruises and cuts that were already appearing. It must have sent every muscle in his body into a searing pain.

Kopa continued to slide and roll a few more feet past Vitani before it stopped. Vitani shook off her tumble and dashed over to Kopa. As she looked over his body, she couldn't help but accept he was dead. He had gone through too much for him to be alive. His face was cut up, his limbs had altered colors as they were covered in bruises, and his fur was marked with many burns and open wounds. She stood over the motionless body as a small sob left her lips. Tears were forming in her eyes but even as they ran down her face, she refused to cry. She refused to accept he was gone. To cry would just seal the fact that even after their narrow escape, after being driven to insanity, after their lives apart in the Outlands, after their promise to come back and live their lives together, he was gone. She let out a loud roar and a cry for help. Another roar soon came out from her throat as she finally saw a few branches in the tree move.

"He'll be here to help soon Kopa." She said with a weak voice. She lowered her head down to Kopa's and stared endlessly at his face, hoping for any sign of life. She didn't bother to stop her tears from rolling off her face and onto Kopa's. In a last attempt to feel Kopa's life again, she rested her head on his upper chest. She thought she felt a twitch but told herself it was only her hopes. She laid there for a few moments longer before feeling another twitch. Her head snapped up off of the body as she looked at it with anxiety, shock, and hope. He moved his head only slightly and let out the tiniest of huffs before slipping back to a completely stationary position.

Vitani's lips trembled as she tried to make out what just happened. She tried to say something but no words came out of her mouth. Finally, she managed to whisper only one.

"Kopa?"


	19. Chapter 19

**Author's Note:**

Here it is, the final chapter. A bit short but it is really just a conclusion.

Review and Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 19: Reception 

"Kopa?"

That one word reverberated in his head.

"Kopa?"

He slowly opened his eyes but to allow only a sliver of light to enter. Once it did, he slammed his eyes shut in response to the intensely bright light.

"Kopa?"

That one calling kept ringing through his head, stuck on repeat. He tried to move his head a bit to shield his eyes from the light but as soon as he tried, a storm of pain shot though his entire body. At least it woke him up a bit. Kopa continued to try and fight the bright light and open his eyes. The more he did, the more clear everything around him was getting. He began to hear some muffled words. He couldn't make them out.

He continued to try to become conscious. He began to feel something gently push his shoulders a few times. His body seared with pain every time but there was nothing he could do. Someone else was doing it to him. The muffled phrases were becoming clearer but still not identifiable.

He tried to open his eyes more and more and was blinded by the intense light. But right before he was about to close them again, something shielded the light from him. It was the silhouette of some figure. His eyes worked effortlessly to try and fix the blurry picture but they too were having a hard time.

"Oh...a…um on…opa…" The muffled voice was getting clearer and clearer as simultaneously so was his vision. "Come on Kopa! Come on!" He finally heard the voice clearly. As he looked up he saw a beautiful but worn lioness with a face so worried he could have sworn she was a mother and he was her fatefully ill child. Tears were running down her muzzle as she kept calling out to him. Kopa finally found the strength to move his muscles more than just a few millimeters and he was rewarded with a greeting he actually wished he did not receive. "Oh Kopa." The lioness said as she fell on him and embraced him. Once again, every inch of his body screamed in pain from numerous burns, ached muscles, smoke filled lungs, cuts and bruises. The reason he wished he was not greeted so.

But all that soon went away as the sweet and intoxicating natural scent of the lioness entered Kopa's nostrils and for the first time since he left the Pridelands so long ago, he was normal and could remember everything. He was back.

"Vitani." He said with all his might which turned out to be a mere whisper. She backed away and looked at his tired and beaten down face and smiled. She leaned in and gave him a small lick.

"Ok, ok coming tru." A flamboyant monkey arrived at the scene and gently pushed Vitain aside. He stared deep at the lion as his staff rested in one hand and his beard and chin was being rubbed by the other. He looked down at Kopa's clearly visible midsection causing his face to light up. "Wah! Kopa! You're alive!" He said joyously releasing a few crazy laughs that gave off the impression he was insane. "You." He said to Vitani. "Bring him to the tree. He is hurt badly." The monkey commanded as he hobbled away toward his tree with great aid from his stick.

"This is going to hurt Kopa." Vitani said as she again positioned herself to carry the once rogue lion on her back. The pain was great but all he could do was let out a few quiet moans.

They made it over to the tree and she gently placed him in the shade. The monkey swung down from the tree with impeccable grace, clearly not showing his age. "Here. Trink this." The monkey said as he lowered a leaf full of a thick syrupy liquid down to Kopa's muzzle. He slowly drank it. When it was all gone, he began coughing profusely. "Not ta greatest taste but should ease your pain." He explained. He went back up the tree and soon returned with a yellow pasty substance and began to rub them on his burns and open cuts.

As Rafiki was tending to Kopa's wounds, Vitani took this time to not only talk to him to get his mind off his pain but to catch up. She was thinking of what all to say but all these questions and emotions were coming at her so quickly, she didn't know where to begin.

"Kopa." Was all she managed to say after a moment of silence. He smiled back at her. Her expression broke with a grin and a cackle. "What the hell happened to you?"

Again, Kopa smiled but this time he released a small laugh in the form of a huff. "Too much." He managed to say.

"It's been too long." She said revealing a softer side of the tough Outlander. She leaned in and nuzzled the lion releasing a purr with every stroke. Kopa still ached so he just laid there and accepted it. It did feel nice for him to be loved again. She pulled away from their embrace with love in those dark and beaten eyes. "I can tell life's been hard on both of us." She said calmly and a bit sorrowful as she looked down at Rafiki still tending to his wounds.

"Want to compare scars?" Kopa jokingly asked. Vitani smiled back.

"Maybe later."

Kopa could feel whatever pain reliever Rafiki had given him start to kick in. He was able to move his limbs with minimal pain but he still was pretty tired and the drug didn't help wake him up at all. "I'm pretty tired." He said, speaking his thoughts.

Vitani opened her mouth to say something but now that he was finished with his medical duties, Rafiki cut her off. "The boy needs to rest if you don't mind." Her ears dropped a bit hoping she would be able to spend some more time with him. "Don't warry. He will be fine. You can stay if you wish." She didn't respond. Instead she looked down at Kopa who was already passed out, this time with sleep rather than near death unconsciousness.

She moved to lie down not too far from him but enough to give him some space. She rested her head on her paws as she watched his chest gently rise up and down. Her eyes landed on his large scar on his stomach. She let out a sigh, trying to imagine how he managed to live for so long in the Outlands all alone. It must have been hard. Soon enough, she was beginning to get tired as well. The last bit of adrenaline was long gone after escape from the fire and the constant running for hours with Kopa on her back. She herself was shocked she was still awake. But she could tell it won't be long before she was in the same position as her old friend in front of her. She moved closer to the body and placed hers next to his. She rested her head on his shoulder where his thick mane substituted as a pillow. And just like that, she was gone too.

Kopa could feel a gentle breeze scurry across his fur. His eyes remained closed but he could tell he was underneath the shade of a tree as the sun would occasionally flash over his eyelids then move away again. He could hear the rustle of the leaves. He was afraid to move, thinking that his pain had not yet subsided and he didn't want the pain to ruin this feeling he felt; a feeling of being home, a feeling of comfort, and a feeling of sanity.

He listened to the natural sounds of the world around him for a moment. But mixed in there was something else. He still didn't open his eyes but his ears couldn't distinguish the sound. Finally, it hit him. It had been so long since he had heard the gentle breathing of another being, he forgot how it sounded. With the identification of the sound came the same scent would cause him to shiver in delight. He decided to open his eyes to make sure it wasn't a dream and sure enough, Vitani was asleep resting on his shoulder. He let out a smile on how peaceful she looked. He knew she was a tough gal but there was something more about her thick hide now. The Outlands must have changed everyone. But he didn't care because what they had must not have changed.

He laid there a bit not wanting to move for now two reasons, the obvious one being the pain and the new one being he didn't want to wake up the sleeping lioness next to him. But sure enough, she began to stir, giving Kopa the opportunity to move a little. To his surprise, his aches and pains were not as immense as they were before. The monkey really did know his stuff. He could still feel the burns and bruises but they didn't hurt as bad.

The small disturbance did more than just test out Kopa's damaged body because Vitani slowly stirred. She let out a yawn while stretching out her arms and legs, all the while keeping her eyes closed as Kopa had before.

She turned to him and nuzzled him lightly. "Feeling better?" She said sleepily.

"A bit." He responded, not knowing how long they were out.

Vitani took a moment long to just lay and wake up a bit but soon enough she slowly rose to all fours. Kopa figured this was a good time to give it a try. He turned to lay on his belly and placed pressure on his front legs. They shook a bit and one gave way but he soon managed to hold himself up. He did the same with his hind legs and, despite a few jolts of pain, he was standing on all fours.

"Come on. I'm sure there are some that would love to see you again." Vitani said as she playfully rubbed her head under Kopa's. They slowly made their way back to Pride Rock.

*o*

"I think Vitani is back." Kovu said as he stood on the protruding rock on the Prideland centerpiece. Kiara moved up to him to look out at what her mate was seeing.

"Who's that with him?" She asked curiously.

"I don't know. We should tell Simba." Kovu said affirmatively. He turned and headed into the cave. Kiara stayed back for a moment to continue and look out at the two coming toward Pride Rock. She noticed they were walking pretty close and pretty slowly. She saw the other lion stumble a bit and realized he must be hurt. She turned back to the cave to join her father and her mate.

Kopa and Vitani were almost there. Kopa couldn't take his eyes off the structure since he first saw it. "It hasn't changed at all." He said quietly. Coming down from the rock, he could make out three figures with a fourth one trailing behind a bit. As they approached, he could recognize two of them to be his mother and father. A smile grew on his face. The third figure was a darker one but a full grown lion nonetheless. The fourth one still trailed behind a bit but he could see it was a younger tan lioness. Vitani and Kopa stopped and waited for them to reach them.

"Vitani, glad to see you're back and alright." Simba said. Kovu gave her a brotherly smile. "Who is this?" He asked quickly.

"This….is your son." Vitani said confidently.

Simba kept a stern look but Nala's was much more emotional. She squinted a bit to try and distinguish the lion's features. Once she deemed to have enough proof, for a mother never forgets the face of her child, she reacted extravagantly. "KOPA!" She shouted as she ran up to him. She hit him with enough force on her embrace to almost knock him off his still weak legs but he managed to stay up as she nuzzled him. "How did you– I thought you were dead." She said curiously. At this point, Kiara had caught up to the rest of the group.

He chuckled a bit. "I think I was at some point." But she wouldn't get his little joke. "I fled, fearing whoever tried to kill me would finish me off." He said, not wanting to explain the entire scenario. Simba still stood at a distance either in shock or complete disbelief.

"Well you don't need to worry. You're not going to get attacked again. Zira…" Nala stopped and looked at Vitani, knowing it must be a touchy subject. "Zira is dead." She said a bit more seriously.

Vitani dropped her head a bit. Kopa noticed then and brushed her cheek with his nose. "I'm sorry." He said.

"It's fine. She….wasn't right." She said acceptingly. "She's the one who attacked you."

"Zira?" He asked hypothetically. He didn't know how to respond and figured no response was the best response he could give.

"Kopa, this is Kovu. And his mate, your sister Kiara." Nala continued on, directing toward the other two lions in the group.

Kopa smiled. "I remember you just being a little new born." He said light-heartedly. "I remember the day you were born." He continued not knowing Kovu felt a bit embarrassed like the little brother he was. "And you." Kopa's smile continued but it was a different one. "You're my baby sister." He said as he slowly came up to her and gave her nuzzle. She didn't quite know what was going on so she just accepted it.

They broke and Kopa turned to the one lion he had not yet greeted and the one he wanted to greet the most. He came up to Simba cautiously. "Hello dad." Simba tried to hold his stern expression but he couldn't. He face twitched until the composure changed drastically. He wrapped his paw around his son and held him close. "Son." Was all he said. Kopa could feel a few tears soak into his mane. They held that embrace longer than any of the others. They finally separated and stared at each other with pride and contentment.

"So. Heh." Kovu said a bit nervously. "Guess this means you're going to be king."

"Oh not at all!" Kopa quickly responded, turning to his apparent new brother. His statement sent surprise through the group but mainly through Kovu, Vitani and Nala. Kiara could care less on whether he was king of Kovu and Simba already knew the reason for Kopa statement before he could explain. He felt even more pride for his son and stood even taller than he already was.

"There is no way I'm ready." Kopa began to explain. "I've been living on my own for so long and trust me, I don't like to see myself with power. Plus, I haven't had any training. Hell, I don't want to be king! Not anymore at least. I just want to have a home again." He turned over toward Vitani. "To be loved again." He said giving her a small nuzzle. Kiara held back a small cackle as she had never expected Vitani to have such a soft side. Kovu was a bit weirded out too but didn't take note like Kiara did.

"Come on. Let's go home." Simba said with a smile. He turned and began walking as Nala soon followed. Next, Kovu and Kiara turned almost simultaneously and followed in Simba and Nala's trail. Vitani turned toward Kopa and nodded her head toward the others. She began walking and so did Kopa, back to Pride Rock and back home.


	20. Epilogue

**Author's Note:**

Since I posted this at the same time as Chapter 19, I want to make sure everyone has read chapter 19 before this one. So check to make sure you've done so.

Well, here it is. The final installment of Alive. I really appreciate all of those who have read it and will read it in the future and I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have. There is always room for improvement but I'm pretty proud of this story. Once again, thank you and as always,

ENJOY!

* * *

Epilogue

Kopa was lying down calmly in the savanna. The cool breeze felt good against the hot sun. He looked across the land and saw it was good. However his attention was soon directed toward a lioness that was strutting toward him. As she came closer, her facial expression displayed strong adoration and passion for the lion she was approaching. She slowly and seductively lied down next to Kopa and nudged him. Without hesitation, he felt himself lick her on the cheek. "Hey you." He said charmingly.

"Mheetu should be arriving any moment." Vitani said back although her response didn't quite sync up with Kopa's statement. "Should be a funny site to see his surprise when he sees you alive." She smiled and giggled a little. Kopa smiled back.

"Come on. Nala is probably sick and tired of babysitting. What do you say we head back." She said as she gave him a nuzzle.

"Fine with me." Kopa said. He got up and accompanied his mate back to Pride Rock.

They got back and saw Nala lying down on a rock as four little cubs were on the ground in front of her wrestling. "Come on kids. I think it's time you let your grandmother do her own things." Vitani called out but it made no reaction to the young cubs. "Anput, Malki, let's go!"

"Awww, but mom." The two said at the same time. Nala chuckled a little. "Can we at least still play with Moni and Rev?"

"That's up to Kiara and Kovu." Kopa answered for them. "Speaking of which." He said as he saw the two emerge from the cave with Simba.

"Mom! Dad!" The other two cubs said as they ran to their parents, having not seen them all day.

"Hey kids." Kiara said as they rubbed against her and Kovu's legs.

"They are all just so cute." Nala said from her rock.

Kopa looked on at the scene in front of him. He couldn't help but notice how good everything finally was.


End file.
